Another Life
by FamilyRose
Summary: After his epic journey Harry Potter finds himself living again. Harry Potter as Sakura Haruno? Let the good times roll. A self challenge fic. Harry is not canon and Naruto will become very AU.
1. His Her New Life

**********Disclaimer:** _Right I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto because if I did well things would've gone differently. Anyway All I'm doing is playing around with the characters just like everybody else who writes around here!_

**Self challenge: Harry Potter as Sakura Haruno? Let the good times roll.**

_**Summary: **Harry's last thought was that the afterlife would be peaceful. There would be no evil snake pedophile for him to kill. Boy was he wrong. _

**Part One**

Harry opened his eyes to the room the horribly PINK room around him. _'Pink? The afterlife is really PINK? What the heck?' _His thoughts continued along this path until he became tired and slept. When next his eyes opened he was aware of a very uncomfortable wetness the more he moved to figure out what it was the worse it got so he opened his mouth to yell.

"Wahhh!"

For a moment he wasn't sure where that noise came from and it shocked him silent when it became apparent that the noise was HIM. Still there was that wet feeling he had and he tried to move to dislodge whatever it was that gave him the wet feeling. When the results of his moving around only made the wetness worse he knew something was wrong.

When the wetness finally became a bit too uncomfortable he realized he would need help. So he made some more noise to attract some form of assistance. The noise that came from his mouth was high pitched and so not his voice at least not the voice he remembered having.

'_Maybe I got hit with something that damaged my voice box?'_ but that wouldn't explain why he felt small and why the afterlife was _pink._ _'I hope someone comes soon, that wet feeling is really starting to grate.'_ just as he finished the thought he sensed someone coming. _'Well at least the afterlife is kind to let me keep my magic.'_

"Calm down little flower, papa is here." Came a soft very male voice from his right and then the room became brighter. As he adjusted to the light he became aware of two, very large distinctly male hands picking him up.

Although he wanted to focus on the room he found himself in he instead focused on the person who had spoken. It was a man in his late twenties with either very light red or dark pink hair which he found rather odd, and green eyes the man himself had been talking but Harry hadn't paid much attention to it. _'What the Hell is going on?'_

As he was thinking of what could have gone wrong for him to be this small and in the care of an oddly colored man he became very aware of the breeze across his nether regions. He whimpered in distress and it was fast becoming panic when the man spoke again.

"Shh, little flower almost done. Then you and me can sit in the rocker and wait on mommy to wake up and I'll read you a story. You'd like that wouldn't you Sakura-chan?" The man continued speaking but at the moment Harry was completely focused on the fact that he had call him Sakura. As far as Harry knew Sakura was a GIRLS name and that could only mean one thing as far as Harry was concerned. He was in deep shit.

**0o0o0**

It was with some trepidation that Harry began to integrate himself into the life of Sakura Haruno a six month old baby girl from Konohagakure. It wasn't too difficult really, at first he merely had to be a baby and since he was _fairly_ certain that he was old enough to sit up on his own he did just that. Every chance he got he no…she would pull herself up and look around wherever she was. _'There really isn't any choice now. I'm a girl and there isn't anything I can do about it. Though I would be more then fine if this whole mess had me with my old utensils.' _

She could even vocalize a little, mostly small two word sentences that barely made sense but she hoped to get better over time. Her parents though, were proud of their little genius, as they called her though the reality was that she had already gone through this once already. Though she was now a girl she truly wasn't looking forward to the potty training part of her life, that was going to be an experience in and of itself.

Three months after beginning this new life Sakura was taking her first steps with her anxious parents looking on. When her steps ended with her plopping down in front of her father she was rewarded with applause. She smiled at her parents as they cooed at her in praise of her accomplishment.

**0o0o0**

She wondered what the hell was going on now. The day had started out alright she was walking a little better then she had last week then she had taken her nap, which she detested but it was necessary, and then things had gone to hell.

There was a rumbling and then there was a very malevolent presence all around her. It pressed into her and she could feel something push back. She was curious and sacred. Whatever it was that was giving off this feeling had to be near by and judging by her parents movements it was.

After that night her parents were somber and angry but at what she was unsure, she only knew that they had become more fervent in their need to protect her from everything.

**0o0o0o0o0o00o0**

It is her birthday today and she is so excited, today her parents are going to take her outside to play with other children. Now she can figure out why her magic is behaving oddly.

It had been a few days after that malevolent presence had come and gone that she had begun to do more with her magic then use it as an extra sensory device. She had begun doing little things with it like levitating light objects, making different colored balls of floating light to entertain herself with at night and finally helping her muscles to develop a little bit faster then was normal.

As the months passed she was glad that she had taken her education in the magical arts more seriously the Ron had wished. Sure having him for a friend was fun; having Hermione's friendship though, for all that she nagged at them both to study more, was a blessing. Before she had befriended Hermione, Harry had been well on his way to replaying his first years in school. Hiding behind stupidity and not doing his best at everything he tried even if he failed in the end.

Having Hermione around to show him that there was nothing wrong with getting good grades and doing well at something that you liked. He was even more glad that Ron hadn't become mad at him for becoming a second book worm to Hermione's number one. That had actually been their first dispute, though Ron had insisted that he, Harry, didn't need to study anymore then necessary Harry had been adamant that he did. _' "After all Ron, I want a good job when I grow up. I also would __like__ to grow up."'_ In the end Ron had given in and had done pretty well himself all things considered. _'He was still bullheaded and rash, but he was a good friend and now? Now I'm here, alone, in this new world that doesn't play by any of the rules I knew.'_

Here she was though months later and she was playing around with children a little older then her newly minted one year old self. There are of course a couple of differences between her and the other children one difference being that she is smaller then they are. The other being that they, being older, have more stamina. But play was not hindered in any way once the elder children found that she was more then willing to just watch if she got too tired to play or if it was a game she didn't understand.

Though most games she did understand it was her excuse to focus of her magic and the weird energy she could feel around the park. The energy itself reminded her a lot of every magical creatures she had run around with in her old life. It was a feeling of slight welcome and a distant feeling of curiosity, in fact it sort of felt like…_ 'That can't be possible, Mother-Gaia?'_ she began to sort through everything she remembered about how wizards and witches could connect to the spirit of the earth.

'_First I have to clear my thoughts of all, then I have to use my magic to 'touch' her, call her. She should respond to that but if she doesn't I have to wait before I can try again.'_ it was something she'd only done once as Harry and then she hadn't talked to Gaia very long.

'_?'_

'_Mother?'_

'_Child?'_her voice was tired but strong in a way she'd never heard of, it was almost like she was newer.

'_Mother, I call you.'_

'_Child, I hear you.'_ now what was he supposed to say?

'_Mother are these new children? New sibs for the blessed, the Magi?'_ her voice when she answered Sakura this time didn't sound as tired.

'_Child you are a long way from home,'_ she felt something sifting through her mind and though it frightened her a bit she knew it was Gaia. _'So far from home, but through time not through my sisters among the black. Child hear me.'_

'_I hear you Mother, I come from another time. Can you tell which and why?'_

'_Yes, you come from before, long before. When I grew old and died only to be reborn and remade by Mother Chaos and Father Universe. A chosen you were, a chosen you remain.'_

He knew what that meant, _'Thank you Mother.'_

'_We will talk again young one, more I will tell you.'_

Then the connection was gone and she felt even more alone the she had before their conversation. _'From before, huh? I guess people really couldn't get along then. They destroyed themselves and Mother, but why do __**I **__remember?' _not dwelling on the thoughts for now she went back to watching the other kids play. _'Another childhood? This time with absolutely no one else's expectations? I can live with that.'_

It a couple hours after she had had the conversation with Gaia that she found herself listening in on a conversation that would help her understand this weird ass world.

"So then sensei tells me that I have more chakra then is average for a girl my age so I should start the tree walking exercise. I was a little confused but he told me that molding chakra on the bottom of my feet would be harder then trying to make a leaf stick to my forehead." A girl with red hair was saying to another girl with brownish hair. They were in the tree a few yards away from where everyone was playing and where Sakura happened to be resting.

"Have you tried it then?" the brown haired girl asked.

"Of course I have and it is a little bit harder but Shiro told me that water walking was even more difficult so I'm doing that next week."

She couldn't listen to anymore of their conversation because her father was calling her over to the pile of presents. As she was walking away though she decided she'd learn more about 'chakra,' _'Maybe chakra is what replaced magic?' _

**0o0o0o0o**

Three months after her first birthday party found Sakura reading a book on chakra and its many uses. Though she wasn't as fluent in the written language as she was in the spoken version but she was learning, fast. It had been a small revelation to learn that chakra was _not_ in fact magic nor was it a replacement for magic.

Chakra was _in fact_ a solid energy pattern derived from _two_ resources, both mental and physical. Whereas _magic_, magic was an energy(spiritual) pattern that was given to the person by Mother Gaia. Genetics though seemed to be the sticking point in both magic and chakra, the one thing that was similar in both magical children born to magical parents usually had better control of their magic. Similarly children born to those who utilized their chakra through their life had larger reserves, there were of course exceptions.

Her genetics this go round weren't anything like she remembered though, and her parents weren't in a position were they used their chakra almost everyday. Her parents owned a bakery and book store, her mother was an avid reader where her father loved to bake anything. _'I have to remember to spend time in the bakery when I'm bigger,'_ baking had been the one thing from her past that she wouldn't mind taking up again.

It had taken her a little over a week after her first birthday to realize that she was subconsciously using her magic as a translation filter for the spoken language. She had been startled to learn that the language of the world had changed but when she thought about it, it did make sense. Why _would_ the world continue to speak English when there was _no_ England anymore?

Learning to speak the language without the filter was a small hurdle but one she needed to over come. It was a whole month after her first birthday that she found herself speaking more without the filter then with it. _'It's nice not having to rely on something other then myself for speaking.'_

She spent the next two months getting her father and mother to read to her with her in their lap so that she could see the words in their written form. At first they had thought she merely wanted to look at the pictures but after three weeks her father picked up on what she was really doing.

"My little girl is a genius." were the words that had come out of his mouth.

"Nuh-uh, papa!" was what had come out of _her_ mouth only for her father to tickle her into giggles. He hadn't stopped reading to her but he had taken to pointing out the words and their meanings afterwards.

She believed that her magic had something to do with how fast she was absorbing everything, after all even being as old as she was mentally didn't account for how easily she was learning all these new things. Her genetics and the fact that her mind was physically younger helped her as well but it didn't explain all of it away.

The work she had done with her muscles made it easier for her to stay awake longer and pick up books that would be to heavy otherwise. She knew though, that she would begin to have problems with her own strength if she didn't slow down so she cut back on how much stimulation she gave to her muscles. As it happened though, she knew she wanted to read more on chakra, its uses and hopefully learn weather she'd be able to use it. _'Hermione had been the one to tell me that no knowledge or skill unimportant, so if I can use chakra then I have to cultivate the skill.'_

So that was how she began to spend hours until her mother notice what it was that she was reading almost two weeks later. She had been careful to not let her parents see what it was she was reading. She had known what their likely reaction would be and she was right. They were scared, upset and a little disappointed in her that she would pick a ninja skill to read up on.

Her father, having helped her with her reading had told her that she wouldn't be spending all of her time reading. He had even commented that, 'genius or not my daughter will not become antisocial.'

She could deal with that she decided and while she was outside she would begin serious training with her magic. Even if she was only a year old or not she wasn't about to stop using her magic it was something that she had always used consciously or not.

As for her using her magic to strengthen her muscles even though she had cut back on it there had been a small accident. Her father had been playing with her when she lashed out with her leg catching him off guard he had taken her kick on his right side. The bruise he wore for the next three days would be something that would haunt her until she could control her strength.

**0o0o0**

The next three years her life were very pleasant in that her parents allowed her to do just about anything so long as they knew where she was. Independence, it had been a big thing for her in her previous life and it was a big thing for her now, especially when she _finally_ discovered _ninjas._

It was by pure coincidence that her father and her were in the park that day, though she didn't know it at the time it was a big thing _really._ The man that had come running through their play, at break neck speed turned out to be a low level chunin that had turned out to be a spy for a smaller village. He had been caught trying to get into records that were off limits to ninjas of his rank. So without a good reason to be in the room with high profile records he was asked to _politely _by the two jounin to accompany them to the Hokage for a _talk._

Honestly when she heard about it later it was obvious they were not going to take him to the Hokage, really taking him there wouldn't have been right in the first place. No, they were going to take him to the T&I nins and let them get what they could out of him.

Though none of this concerned her or her father the day he came running through the park and snatched her up to use as a hostage. Nor did any of it matter when, after he turned to throw a few weapons behind him to slow down his pursuers, he very nearly skewered her father.

What had mattered to her was that he had come close to _killing_ her father. She may have been a little distant in the beginning but he was her father and _no_ _one_ was going to kill him if she had anything to say about it.

The moment she had her hand close to his kidneys she punched him with a magically reinforced fist. Letting her magic spear into him to pierce his kidney, she knew the moment she succeed. He went down with a hoarse groan and they fell the ten feet to the ground landing with an audible thump.

By the time she had collected herself and was standing they were surrounded by three men and a woman wearing white makes with distinct patterns. If she hadn't been aware that she was no longer in her world she would have thought them death eaters. Then again that impression wouldn't have lasted long considering the other attire they were dressed in.

"Be calm little one," one of the men said as the woman hashed out orders to the others.

"Sakura," she said.

At the tilt of his head she giggled, "My name is Sakura."

He didn't offer his name but she didn't expect him to after all what would the point of the mask? Instead he picked her up and left the place of impact.

"Ne, Hawk-san? Is my papa alright?" The young man tilted his head slightly to look at her and nodded. The smile she directed at him was one she didn't give often to strangers, the smile she gave to her parents as she had no other precious people.

After she was reunited with her father Sakura was glad that Hawk hadn't asked her how it was that she had incapacitated her abductor. She wouldn't have liked to lied to him but she was certain after that event as to what she wanted to do with her new life. She wanted to be a ninja.

**0o0o0**

Her mother and father were very against her learning any more about ninja life when she told them about her life changing decision. Her mother was scared that she would never settle down with a 'nice boy and give me grandbabies', of course her father said they were young enough to have more children. That had set her mother off on a different and money related issue. Her father was worried that she would become a completely different person if she joined the ninja ranks, but he also could see her determination.

When she pointed out the flaws in their arguments against ninja training they were stumped. She was four, their four year old daughter just argued with them and logically too; Sakura decided on a compromise. If ,after being in the academy for one year, she decided she couldn't handle ninja life she would drop out and carry on the family business instead.

She knew she wouldn't give up on being a ninja but she would give her parents hope, if only for a little while, that she would tire of that life or be scared off by the darker aspects that came with it. She could and would handle it though, she knew she could and she knew she would handle it to the best of her abilities.

**0o0o0b**

Getting into the academy was the problem, it turned out that she had to wait until she was five before she would qualify for peace time regulated age limitations. Even then she had to pass the ten question test to be placed in the class best suited for her intellect. As it was the peace time regulated limitations also told her how old she was likely to be when she graduated, not younger then ten. So five years to adjust to the life before being given to a sensei to take missions, she could deal.

So for the next year she studied what books she could get a hold of, with and without her parents permission. She also found a semi-secluded place in the park to practice the little bit of _taijutsu_ she knew or could learn from the books she had. Before she knew it and before her parents realized the placement test came around.

She was looking forward to it, according to the man, who introduced himself as Shoju Nara, there was two parts to the test. The first was a written test that had ten simple questions on it. The second was a physical test which would test their speed, endurance and strength.

Sakura found the written test to be very, very simplistic and boring. She had finished long before the allotted time and had decided to doodle on the back of the paper. Nothing fancy merely some flowers and a stag, lilies and prongs respectfully. When it came to the physical test she wasn't the fastest nor did she have the endurance most of the boys seemed to have. But she was the strongest though not by much there was a boy who looked a couple years older then her who was just under her in that. His name was Rock Lee.

When the class rosters where decided on two days later she was even more excited then before. She had a new friend in a boy named Kenji Aburame. He was eight years old and just beginning classes because he'd been very sick as baby but the medic pronounced him fit enough to train a few months back.

As they sat waiting to hear their names being call Kenji and Sakura were talking about the various insect species that inhabited Konoha. It was almost their undoing, they were so engrossed in their discussion that Sakura almost missed her assignment. She was with Shoju Nara, she moved to where he had indicated to wait with the others. She was just a little sad that she wasn't with her friend but she decided that wouldn't stop her from studying with him after school.

Finally the day had come for her to begin her future career as a ninja of Konoha. This time when she smiled there was a twinkle in her eye.

* * *

**Original A/N: **Hahahahaha! My own invention, it comes to life. Right so here it is I wanted to challenge myself so I thought, "What hasn't been done?" And I came up with this little beauty. Now if I have somehow MISSED a story like this please tell me because I have honestly looked for one. Now if you've any questions please don't hesitate to ask and remember I ain't got a beta to check my work. Also if I remember corectly the Name Kenji came from a fic I read called 'Once a Wizard, Always a Shinobi' by Kingofloosepages. I might be sighting that wrong but I might not. Still I do know that I found it in a fic I read. The Nara on the other hand, Shoju, is merely Shoji with an U. Tada! Inspiring isn't it? right?

**New A/N(4-2-12):** Right so I changed a lot of things in this chapter that hopefully made it better then before. I really don't know why I did it but, yeah. Anyway, I tried to make bring in Harry's background a little to show that it's different from the books.

Harry not utilizing _any _of his smarts was one of the things that really irritated me so I changed that. Oh yeah, Gaia, she'll be back and she'll shed light on how/why Harry remembers his past life.

Also I changed Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke's ages around a bit, in canon Sasuke was born before the Kyuubi attacked in my story he was born afterwards. So it's like this, Sakura is the eldest she was born in march (it's in canon) Naruto was born in oct. as usual and Sasuke was born the following year. Thus he is the youngest, okay?

~Rose.


	2. Her Decision

**Disclaimer here! Rose doesn't own Harry Potter or Naruto!**

**Part Two**

After a few weeks at the academy Sakura was feeling a little restless, like there was something she just had to do. It wasn't until she told Kenji that she was feeling like that that she had a theory as to why.

Her magic. She'd been exercising it daily but not overly so, that was a no-no when it came to magic. Kids had accidental magic for certain reasons one: they were scared and so their magic acts out; two: they have too much magic and so every now and then a wish becomes a reality i.e. summoning something from across the room.

However when magic isn't used to do things like this and is allowed to build there were two possibilities as to outcomes. One: the magic becomes too much for the kid and literally burns them from the inside out; accounts of spontaneous combustion in her old world were just that. Two: the core expands and excess magic speeds up the adrenaline in such a way that it makes a person jittery.

When she had been Harry her magic hadn't made her jittery for various reasons. The main one being that most of it was blocking the soul chip that Ol' MoldyWarts had left behind in her head. Truthfully when he had learned that he was supposed to be _more_ powerful then he was had been devastating. It had been another thing that separated him from his friends, his celebrity unearned as it was and then the power thing. Harry had been surprised that he hadn't blown something up when he learned of it.

When things were over though, and all of his magic was available to him, he still hadn't felt jittery. _'Maybe it was because I was using my magic for big things, like fixing houses and helping people put their lives back together? Or it might have had something to due with all of the magic I spent up during those final few days of the fight.'_

Sakura's problem though, was nothing like that of Harry's and so she had concluded that her magical core had expanded and she was suffering the side effects. She of course new how to keep the effect down from jittery to simply energetic. She needed to plan she had a village to terro…prank.

It took three days before she was ready to execute her plan, that is three days of surveillance and plans that had to be remade after being caught the first day. The chunin that caught her was amused at her attempt at stealth that all he did was send her on her way. She of course learned a very valuable lesson that day, disillusioned or not a ninja can still sniff you out.

Afterwards she used a variation of a spell designed for werewolves one that helped with their senses, which tended to go hypersensitive around the full moon. The variation didn't mess with _her_ senses nor did it mess with the senses of the people around her it simply muted her _smell._ Her distinct smell became part of the background very much like a drop of water falling into a pond. It became easier after that not _easy,_ just easier then it had been, she was after all entering one of the most secure buildings in the village. She only stayed long enough to get the information she needed and then she left.

The map before her told her everything she needed for her prank but at her mother's voice she put everything up and got ready for school. It would be hours before she saw any results to the mayhem she had unleashed in the Hokage tower.

**X0x0x0X**

The tower was in a mess, the halls had been slicked down with cooking oil every inch of the hall were covered in it. The tower always has someone there just in case of emergencies so no one knew how it had happened. That is until the Hokage himself received a missive when he sat in his office after having the situation explained to him.

_Hokage-Sama_

_I am a student of the ninja arts for our lovely village and I wished to test my skills in stealth. So five days ago I began to observe the tower for breaks in security so that I may complete my mission. I covered the glorious halls of our most revered and beloved building in cooking oil for the simple fact that it was the easiest thing to get._

_However that isn't all I've done…_

Just then a loud 'What the Hell?' Could be heard coming from the direction of the bathrooms. The Sandaime shook his head with a small smile on his face and looked back at the missive.

…_I've placed a couple of seals on the toilet seats in the tower. They act like an adhesive and will only release the victim if they say the following. "I'm a little teapot and I love tea bags."_

_With love,_

_Kojika_

_Student of Konoha_

It was an hour later when the Hokage went to the bathrooms with the release phrase for the seals the whole way thinking that Konoha had a new prankster.

**X0x0x0X**

After the prank on the tower Sakura felt she could do better and she would after she got better at seals and stealth. She was with Kenji when the subject came up for the first time with them. It so surprised her that he would ask her about pranks that she answered honestly.

"I don't mind them I even intend to pull some now and then." He blinked at her, at least that's what she assumed he did he could've looked over her shoulder or something.

"Ah, then it _was _you who pranked the Hokage tower." It was her turn to blink at him, how did he know that?

"Why do you assume it was me?" she asked.

"A simple case of process of elimination. First, it couldn't have been the jounin or the chunin for the simple fact they would've owned up to it. Second, the genin wouldn't have the guts for something so bold so soon in their career. Lastly, the only other person who might have tried is the blond kid in my class; and he doesn't seem to possess the necessary skill or composure that one would need to keep something like that hidden from others. You on the other hand, you do." He said all of this with a small monotone of smugness that irritated Sakura but also made her want to smile. She chose to smile at the stoic boy instead of yelling it wouldn't have helped any anyway.

"Fine it _was_ me but you can't tell anyone, Kenji."

She held her breath as he thought about it before he said, "Very well but you must include me next time."

She smiled very widely then, "I was planning on it anyway. You're my friend I wouldn't have it any other way."

This time she knew he was smiling at her.

**0o00o0**

The first two months of the academy were spent doing three things the first was learning the history of the village, reading, writing and arithmetic. According to Shoju-sensei learning all of this was mandatory, and although Sakura could understand why it was, it was boring. The second thing they did was keep up with the physical aspect they had been tested on that very first day. The running and various exercises that helped with their strength where fun but still a bit disappointing. The last thing wasn't mandatory but it _was_ fun, trap making. It was taught by a newly minted chunin named Iruka Umino.

He was nice for a teacher, he always seemed to have nice things to say and liked to encourage his students. Sakura was very interested in his lessons for the sole purpose that he allowed them to _practice, _non-lethal traps of course. She was fast becoming someone with whom the others didn't with to practice with. Her traps catching two out of every three kids the ones who got lucky first go round tended to get cocky the second time and that was were they messed up. One day Iruka-sensei asked her to stay behind.

"Sakura-chan I wanted to let you know that you could sign up for a more advanced version of this class. It was brought to my attention when Shoju-san overlooked the class last week."

At her smiling nod he said he would make the correct changes to her schedule. When she told Kenji later he was unsurprised but happy for her. He told her he had found a series of victims for their first pranks together. They both knew that they would need more information on the targets but they both agreed that they needed to lighten up.

**X0x0x0X**

Hiruzen Sarutobi was trying very hard to calm down from his laughter induced tears that had been the result of the stories that his two advisors and teammates had finished telling him. _'Not to mention how they hadn't noticed their very interesting attire. I wonder who will point it out to them?'_

It been Koharu who had started the chain reaction when she woke up at five a.m. and proceed with her morning routine. She had stepped out of her shower only to notice that her hair had changed colors it was no longer a washed out purple but a dark magenta. Her skin had also taken a slight change of tone. It was much darker then it was before her shower.

Then when she went to get dressed she found all of her kimono covered in honey and soy sauce. So she had to dress in clothes she hadn't been to fond of when she received them from her daughter as a birthday gift. She had only worn the things once and she did not relish in wearing them again.

She was close to losing her temper when the metaphorical straw happened. As she left her home she activated the finale to the whole prank a bucket of fish guts with essence of skunk.

Homura's tale was similar though his hair was a very bight purple and his skin was blue in color.

Hiruzen was moved to tears when his teammates had left his office he laughed until he couldn't take it. When he finally did calm down enough to work he noticed a missive.

_Hello again Hokage-Sama,_

_As a student of the ninja arts I again wished to test my talents and so I decided on my next vic…that is to say my target. I couldn't decide between your teammates so I and a friend of mine, shared responsibilities. I was given the dubious pleasure to enhance the laughter in your female teammate. While my partner in this tackled your male teammate. _

Just then a yell and a thump was heard from the office of Koharu as he chuckled he turned back to the missive.

_Koharu is no doubt aware of the outfit I picked out for her to wear this day. While I did notice that she had a plethora of wonderful kimono I thought she would look much better in the bright pink and blues of the one I left for her._

_My partner had thought they would look best if they were matching but I knew that couples should never dress alike. For any occasion. Thus Homura was given his bright greens and purples to grow into today._

_I am sorry to say that they will only be like this for the next twenty four hours. Or if they happen to guess the release phrase. Which we've changed. They will go about there day as normal the seal merely prevents the urge, the want, to change clothes or other wise cover their looks. _

_The seal itself will vanish when the time comes, it also has a secondary function of cleaning up their looks. Their hair and skin will go back to normal the clothes and smell on the other hand? Well they'll be able to change clothes and the smell will go away, eventually._

_With much love_

_Kojika & Kemuri_

_Students of Konoha_

Hiruzen was impressed and slightly worried about the compulsion seal two children had managed to use on two seasoned ninja. Though he was glad that they hadn't any devious thoughts, well anymore devious then a prank on two elderly people. Still sealing techniques like that were usually for masters of the craft, how had two children managed to make them? Or had someone else made them? _'Something to look into I suppose, and I'm supposed to be retired. Kami-sama what a day.'_

**X0x0x0X**

It was with laughter in her eyes that Sakura told Kenji that she had the whole thing for their viewing pleasure.

This was their fourth large prank on the village ninja and it had taken two weeks to pull off. First it was the surveillance then it was the preparation and finally the execution. It was their biggest prank to date, not counting the prank they had pulled on the market where they had placed seals to import and export live animals at random intervals. This prank wasn't on civilians, it was on well seasoned and alert ninja the elite in fact. ANBU. She had been apprehensive when Kenji had proposed them as the newest target but when he had told her his small bit of inside information she saw plans within plans and smiled.

The video began with a masked man running into the room clearly in a panic. When he stopped, dropped and rolled Sakura began laughing. The fire illusion was one of the lower level things she had converted to seal form in order for Kenji to help in the execution of the prank. They had both decided that fire was the way to go with the illusions for the plain fact that although it was kind of cruel it really was one of the only ways for the ANBU to stir up in a emotional panic. After all who can stay calm while on fire? It wouldn't hurt him anyway and all he would remember was a slight warmth on his face.

When the man began to scream for them to put the fire out the others in the room began to realize that he was under a powerful genjutsu and two rushed over to help him. When after ten minutes there was no change and three more people had fallen victim the whole room practically screamed with worry and tension. Another ten minutes and the head of Anbu came into the room.

Sakura and Kenji knew he was the head because everyone differed to him. He was tall dark haired but that could be a false face. Still his too tried to break whatever had incapacitated his ninja with no success. When the muscles in his shoulders tensed barely measurable but still tensing, the full effect of the prank happened. Fireworks! Literally, there were fourteen seals in that room that had allowed Sakura and Kenji to set off a multitude of fireworks in safe location while the Anbu corps got the full show. Along with a banner that proclaimed _Kojika & Kemuri_ were the best pranksters Konoha would ever see.

The aftermath of the fireworks and fire was the silence of the room, before there was a buzz of activity. The four fire victims were asked a lot questions but none could recall having come across a point where they would've been exposed to the kind of genjutsu the others were describing. It obviously frustrated the head of the ANBU that his subordinates couldn't recall that they'd been under a genjutsu.

Those who cleaned up the fireworks announced that they could be purchased at any of three different vendors at the market. The piece de resistance of the prank activated when the last firework was moved away from the first fire victim. With a bang honey and feathers rained down on twenty Anbu and the Anbu commander.

Sakura and Kenji laughed at the bewildered stances of the Anbu, most had honey and feathers all over them though some only had it on their heads. Still they all looked hilarious. She and Kenji agreed, the Hokage would get a copy of this.

**0o0o0o0**

The year of her compromise with her parents was coming to an end she only had five weeks left. She had become more determined however and so it was with no fear that she confronted her parents about the marriage contract they had been trying to initiate with a fellow shop owner.

"Mother, father I think its time we talked." She had caught them off guard she could tell. She asked them to sit with her at the table to have their talk. "I know about the marriage contract so I thought it would be best if I just said what needs to be said. I'm not quitting my chosen career for anything. I want to be a ninja and that's all there is to this, I won't be coddled and wrapped in cotton. I love you both but if you do anything to jeopardize my choice I won't forgive you. Ever."

As she had spoken her parents faces had gone from surprised to indulgent and settled on a pale sorrow that she knew was their way of worrying. She waited for them to collect their thoughts on her choice and words, sipping on the glass of water she had.

The looks her parents gave each other spoke of how much they understood each other. She knew they could have an hour long conversation with just their eyes, subtle hand movements and tilts of their heads. She even knew the moment they reached and agreement her mother made a slashing movement with her hand and tilted her head to left and stalked out of the room.

"Your mother and I think you're too young for either a ninja career or marriage but, we are willing to allow you your choice."

Sakura's face lit up as she raced around the table to thank her father properly with a hug. "It's what I want to do papa and not for whatever reasons momma came up with. I want to get strong to protect you and momma and Kenji. The only way to do that is to be a ninja."

His smile was a little melancholy when he replied, "I know little flower, I know."

* * *

**Original A/N: **Well hope you enjoyed it. Please do remember I have no one to double check my work for mistakes and I do try to at least make sure things are spelled right. Though the punctuation is a bit of a problem for me. It's the commas I hate them.

**4-2-12**

**New A/N:** Alright I changed some more things in this chapter I may be getting better at this, nah.

~Rose.


	3. Friends

**Disclaimer here! Rose doesn't own Harry Potter or Naruto!**

**Part Three**

After the conversation with her parents Sakura put more into her school work then her pranks, Kenji as well. Classes were still boring but she persevered and soon her first year came to a close for a small summer break.

She had to keep up her training for the next six weeks with only Kenji to help her. It would be more work but it would at least keep her busy so that she didn't have to think about her conversation with Gaia. She also had her pranks to keep up with, she couldn't just quit now.

**o0o**

A week or so before the academy let out she had decided to call on Gaia-Mother again, she wanted to know Mother had meant about being a chosen. She couldn't mean magical because if that were true there would be _more_ magical people.

'_Mother?'_ she called when she had settled down in a small grove in the park where she played often.

'_Child? Ready to learn?'_ her voice was soothing now, soothing and deep in the way that it felt like it was coming from the bottom of a hollow.

'_I'm ready Mother, but I have questions.'_

'_I can see that child. I will answer them soon. But first,'_ a small sound from outside her mind had her opening her eyes.

"Hello little one, what are you doing here without your parents?" she said to the small black puppy that had crept upon her grove.

'_A gift child, one that will stay with you.'_

'_Not a nin-kin right Mother?'_

'_Only if you wish for it child. Orion is simply a friend for you to have, one that will live as you live.'_

'_So he's long lived for a dog then?'_

'_Indeed child. Take care of him, I know you will. Your questions now, I will answer.'_

'_You called me a chosen Mother.'_

'_Yes, for you are a chosen. My aunts decreed long ago that chosen children would always have a part to play in the affairs of mortals.'_

'_Then am I not mortal, Mother?'_

'_You __**are**__ mortal child and will remain mortal for as long as needed. Since your life as a magical one you have lived upon me countless times. You remember only what you must to survive now.'_

That had served to make her very nervous, _'How does my remembering being Harry Potter help now, mother?'_

'_Child, more things will happen in this life and those things you knew will help not only you but the chosen of this era.'_ she sounded tired now but he really wanted to know.

'_Mother?'_

'_Not now child, I must rest the connection for a while. We will talk again'_

'_Mother?'_ when she didn't answer Sakura was fit to be tied, _'What the hell did she mean this time. 'Chosen of this era'? who did she mean?'_

**o00o**

It had frustrated her that last week of classes but now she had a full six weeks to _not_ think on it, instead she focused on other things.

The first week of the break she worked on her chakra control and her stamina after all it would be pointless to have perfect control only to have no stamina with it. The stamina training she did was something that she had found out by sneaking around ANBU HQ, which was hard in and of itself. Because she was slowly bringing her chakra under control and her reserves were growing it made finding her easier for a lot of people. It became obvious that the Anbu were merely being tolerant because she was young and not a serious threat to them.

So the way she learned to combat the weakness in having growing reserves _and_ raise her stamina was to mold her chakra in such a way that it seemed to be civilian level. Another way was to make it feel equal to that of a tree for, she found, trees have chakra too. Not much admittedly, but that was why she was doing it. If she could make her chakra feel like a tree did then she would be able to hide better then anyone, excepting of course a Kage level ninja.

Her chakra control exercises helped a lot with her stamina but only insofar as she could reach it easier then before. Compressing and expanding her chakra and keeping it that way all the while using it to stick to a tree was exhausting. Exhausting but worth it.

**0o0o0**

It was one day almost two weeks after summer break began that she met the boy she would forever associate with clouds and laziness. Shikamaru Nara was by far the laziest person she'd ever met, in either life. She had been looking for a different clearing in which to practice her taijutsu when she stumbled upon him.

"Oh I hadn't known that the clearing was occupied." she said in a semi startled tone. _'I have to work on that too.'_

"Hum? Oh you, your in my class right? Saki something." His statement caused her to frown but she spoke next it wasn't to yell.

"Sakura and you're Shikamaru Nara, right?" Not waiting for a reply she just explained why she had come into the clearing. "I was just looking for a place to practice so since this place is taken I look somewhere else. Later."

**X0x0x0X**

For the first time in a while Shikamaru was puzzled, and it was a person that had him this way. When the pink haired girl had come through the clearing he had assumed that he would have to leave. He had been sure that she would tell him he was being lazy and would nag into doing something, he shuddered, productive.

When all she did was introduce herself and explain why she'd disturbed him and walk away he was puzzled. The clearing was big enough for the both of them and he was sure that she'd known that. So, why had she left? Curious despite himself he went after her.

"Hey !"

**X0x0x0X**

"Hey!"

Turning toward the voice she saw Shikamaru making his way slowly towards her. At his bored yet interested look she was glad that she only smiled, because she really didn't want to be known as a giggly girl. Still she was curious as to why he'd followed her.

"Stalking is really bad for you, you know?" As his face shifted from bored to surprised she laughed. When he sighed and muttered something under his breath she gave him a highly amused look.

"The clearing is big enough for the both of us if your still going to practice." he said when she calmed down.

"Oh, but you don't even know what I'm practicing. So how do you know if the clearing is big enough or not?"

'_Her statement is sound_ but…'

"Even if you wanted to practice something like ninjutsu your chakra reserves aren't big enough for it to do much damage."

'_Logical however…'_

"That would be the case true. If my reserves were what one were to expect form a girl my age, low to almost nonexistent. Which isn't true and then you would have to factor in my control which is nothing to sneeze at. So when you take all of this into account, I could do more damage then you believe." He smiled at his newest expression, stunned. Still he recovered quickly.

"Show me." Show him she did and so claimed her second friend. One that would eventually helping the planning of pranks and missions.

**0o0o0o0**

The first meeting between Kenji and Shikamaru was so smooth that Sakura was wondering what would go wrong. Her luck so far in this life had been so good baring, of course, that malevolent presence she'd felt when she was younger. If she went by her last life's luck then something was sure to fuck up and soon. Still, she didn't dwell on it as Kenji, Shikamaru and her planned their first prank together.

"I'm not sure defacing the Hokage Monument sends the right message to the Hokage."

"Oh but you're thinking like an adult not a ninja. It sends the ultimate message, 'we can do _this_ and you can't catch us.'" Shikamaru looked at Sakura in slight worry while Kenji nodded his head in agreement.

"She is right Shikamaru, if we can to this and not get caught then we send the Hokage and the Anbu a message they are not likely to forget."

Shikamaru sighed but agreed to the plan.

**X0x0x0X**

The next morning civilians and ninja alike were treated to the sight of a graffiti'd mountain side. Some, true to their nature, laughed while others were outraged that someone would do something so immature to their honored Hokages faces.

The Hokage once more received a missive from the culprits of the villages newest prank.

_Dear Hokage-sama _

_My friends and I have decided that this last prank will be our last for a while, on this scale at least. When we planned this prank we decided that should any ninja realize it was us within three days, we would explain how and why we did these things. _

_Now if no one figures it out we will continue to do these things, large and small. We're not terrorists nor are we a danger to the village but we do love pranking people and we do it this way because it is so fun._

_With love,_

_Kojika, Kemuri_ _& Shikyō_

TheHokage knew this was going to be interesting he just wondered if he should allow his Anbu to find them. No he decided, it would take all of the _fun_ out of it.

**X0x0x0X**

The next three days after the prank the boys and Sakura honed their various skills in the clearing they'd claimed as their own. For Shikamaru it meant watching clouds and occasionally commenting on the sparing duo. Kenji and Sakura spent the time working on chakra control and their taijutsu by sparing with one another. Although Sakura's taijutsu was mostly the one taught at the academy she had memorized moves from books she'd read on the subject.

'_Graceful in the air and clumsy on land aren't you Harry?' _she remembered Ron's voice telling her once. _'I'm getting better though, those dancing lessons with mom help.'_ it was the one thing Sakura and her mother do togethernowadays, dancing.

It helped her when she tried one of the moves she'd read about or when she pulled some funky move that she remembered an _actual_ ninja could pull off. She was lucky that neither she nor Kenji pulled muscles with their sparring.

When she finally talked Shikamaru into sparing with her she found herself in a quite awkward position. Somehow she ended up sitting on his chest, her legs on either side of him with her head inches from his stomach.

"Umm…this is awkward." were her first words when it finally hit her as to their position.

"Yeah, could you get off of me?" she bolted so fast she left indentions of her feet on the ground.

"Sorry about that Shikamaru, I'm not sure how we ended up like that." he scratched his neck as he replied, his face a bit pink and his eyes down turned.

"I'm not so sure either…"

"I do," Kenji, ever the helpful one began.

"No it's fine we'll just not spar now, right Shikamaru?" he agreed quickly enough and the two of them moved away from each other.

When no ninja came to the clearing or to their various homes they assumed they had gotten away with their prank. Though the note she left for the Hokage said they wouldn't quit their pranking ways the three of them did decide to put their training and friendship without pranks first.

When Sakura had told her boys that they _could_ just hang out together without having to do much of anything Shikamaru had seconded her thought. Kenji didn't mind either way but had suggested that they find ways to entertain themselves during those times. So when they met on those days Sakura would bring a book or two, Kenji would bring his collection of notes on the various insects of Konoha and Shikamaru would bring some food, sometimes, usually he just brought himself.

On their pranking days they would invariably bring books on traps(Sakura), supplies and/or a target(Kenji), and a shogi board (Shikamaru). They found this to be a good way to get stealth and mission training all in one shot, they even wrote up reports so that they would have practice with that as well.

Still it did get a bit repetitive so they decided to take a more non ninja related break before starting it all up again.

**0o0o0**

Training with the boys had taught her a lot, for one thing Shikamaru needed a lot of motivation before he would do anything that took him away from his cloud watching. Another thing was that although Kenji was her first friend he would read more then he would spar or work on his chakra control. The last thing she learned was to _never, ever_ let them mess with her seals. Neither one had any talent with them and though she was learning she was miles ahead of them.

When she had first heard about seals she hadn't really paid much attention to them and then she had learned that seals where unique. If she hadn't heard of seals she may have gone deeper into genjutsu as it was though, when she had overheard a couple of ninja talking about how the newer design of the explosive tags weren't as hot as the ones they'd had before, she'd immediately wondered what they were talking about.

What she discovered was a whole slew of entertainment, frustration and jubilation at these symbols that could level buildings, bind a person in a scroll and then she learned about summoning contracts. With all of these things she had learned seals could do it really was no surprise when she decided to become a master of the art.

One of the first things she did was learn what the seals were all about and then she began to make her own. Some of the first seals she made were so that she could go sneaking around the village's most guarded places. She didn't have a death wish or anything she merely wanted to test her seals against the best, not that she was cocky either in her seal making. There were set backs and she had been caught a few times, more times then she cared to count but she took it as a learning experience.

Then she had made her teleportation seals which along with her illusions seals were used in the prank she and Kenji pulled on the Anbu. There had been a few glitches in these seals at first there had been the thirty second delay with her first attempt at her teleportation seals. Her illusions seals would malfunction if she thought about anything other then the illusion she wanted it to cast, her meditation sessions with Kenji helped her here. As for the adhesive seals well, they were just a more reliable sort of glue really, all it she had done was to give them a release phrase rather then having them rely on someone using chakra to release it.

The process of converting spells into seals while a moderately difficult thing for her, was actually very fun and oh so interesting. There were of course some spells that were resistant to the conversion process but she was sure that even though they were resistant she would be able to, in time, convert them into seals. The higher level spells like shields and summoning and awkwardly enough the levitation spell were the most resistant. She assumed it had something to do with the primary function of the spell and the power needed to cast them. While the levitation spell was fairly easy to cast you were essentially using magic to make something float and while you _could_ make leaves float with chakra it was a pain in the ass to try anything heavier.

When she'd started making seals in front of Kenji he had expressed his concern that she could and probably would blow herself up. She had laughed him off and told him that she would be careful when making her seals and while he was upset with her blasé attitude he still stayed around. Secretly she thought it was so he could be there in case she did blow herself up and he could say 'I told you so,' but that was just her.

It wasn't until she had let him try his hand at a simple explosive seal that she knew why he'd been concerned. He was a very bad hand at seals, worse even then she had believed a person could be. It was only when she'd introduced Shikamaru to seal making she knew she had pushed her luck in that arena. It seems that some people were just _not_ built for seal creation and her boys were prime examples.

She was hopeful that Shikamaru would grow his eyebrows out again they hadn't been _completely _burnt off after all.

**0o0o0**

For all that they trained and helped one another out they felt they were not as good as they could be. At least those were the feelings of Kenji and Sakura and so they went in search of a teacher who could evaluate their growth with an unbiased opinion. It was the last week of summer break when they found a likely candidate for their evaluation.

His name was Genma Shiranui and he was a Special Jounin. Sakura had been the one to point him out to the boys. They were focused on the chunin instructors but Sakura felt that they wouldn't really test them. They didn't complain as much as she thought they would but then they, even Shikamaru, wanted to know how good they were. The only problem would be convincing the man to actually test them.

**X0x0x0X**

He knew someone was following him, he could feel it. It had started a few days ago when he was coming out of the mission office, the sensation of someone's eyes on him, following him. The eyes stayed with him as he made his was to his favorite eatery and then followed him to his home where they stayed until he turned his lights off. They waited outside of his home for an hour before they left. The next morning he woke up to the sensation again and the following morning and the morning after that as well.

Today was different though, today the sensation had a different flavor. The eyes were going to confront him, he hadn't survived as a Special Jounin for so long without picking some thing's up.

He was right when he arrived at his favorite training ground there was a rustling from the bushes and then a _pink_ haired girl stepped out. She was dressed in clothes that spoke of her career choice nothing flashy and eye catching but rather subdued colors and clothes that were obviously comfortable. She couldn't have been older then seven.

"Hello there! Are you my stalker?" he asked pleasantly senbon hanging in his mouth.

"I apologize but I needed information and the best way to get it was to watch you. However since my time is running out I decided to talk to you directly." The first thing that came to Genma's mind was '_A traitor? Her?'_ but then the child didn't seem the type to do open confrontation without a reason. Then again there was the shinobi motto 'beneath the underneath' so she _could_ be out to kill him, unlikely though it was.

"What do you need to know?" No need to be rude after all, keeping her talking is step one.

"If you would be willing to take on three students or at the very least test three students and describe in detail were they could improve." At first he was sure she was joking, after all he was _special_ Jounin not a regular there was a difference.

"Why?"

"That is a loaded question but one I expected. Why you? Because you're a Special Jounin and would know if we would benefit from a specialized field within the ninja corps. Why not go to an academy instructor? Because most of them, not all of them mind you but most, aren't as impartial as they're supposed to be and you, not knowing us would be. There are other reasons for coming to you but I would like to introduce the other two if you agree."

He wasn't sure but she looked very determined to have him as an instructor and he wasn't sure he wanted to let her down. There was something about her, something that spoke of strength and endurance. Now why he would get that feeling from someone so young he wasn't sure but he knew he would expect great things from this one.

"Let me meet your friends then." She looked like she was about to protest but a noise from behind her had her sighing. Two boys came out of the bushes one so very obviously an Aburame and the other a Nara by all accounts.

"Kenji Aburame and Shikamaru Nara, my friends and I'm Sakura Haruno."

"Well if you three are serious about this then I see no reason to deny you a test. Understand this though, I _will_ put you through your paces and you had better keep up. If after the test I decide you would benefit from anything I could teach you I will, however I will have to talk to the Hokage first. Understood?" When he received conformation he began to put the three academy students through paces that would make most rookie genin blanch.

He began with speed and endurance: laps around the training grounds. First just to see how long they could run before they keeled over then to see how fast they could move while tired and finally sparing. Next he tested their knowledge of the basic three all the while making sure they could hold their techniques again while being tired. For all that they were young they were skilled, not prodigies, though Sakura could be called one it was obvious to Genma that she had worked herself hard to get to were she was.

When it began to get darker he had them rest so that he could deliver his observations and recommendations. He decided to begin with the boys, mostly to annoy Sakura she was funny when she was upset.

**X0x0x0X**

"Alright here it is Kenji-kun your taijutsu is good for a kid of your age and past health issues. You tend to guard your left side more then your right which considering the nature of your past condition isn't surprising. There is also a tendency you have to lean to the left when you move in any direction that takes you further from the target. Don't become predictable like that, you're still young enough that you can change that and should if you want to be anything more then a chunin and live.

"Shikamaru- kun you have a habit of hesitating in your strikes for anything vital and it isn't a good thing at all. I understand that you didn't wish to hurt me but when you spar with someone it is in your best interest and the best interest of the person you're sparing with to never hesitate. You have to trust that the person is going to move and plan accordingly when in a real fight that hesitation could cost you and anyone around you your lives.

"Both of you boys need to work on your chakra control in any case so that your jutsu become a second nature. Though your control is good enough for academy students it could be better especially when you consider that your reserves are going to keep growing the faster they grow the more trouble you'll have with your control.

"As for you Sakura," he smiled at the girl when she started at his address, "you rely a lot on your seals and while that is nice, you're neglecting a lot of other areas that you'd be good at. Your taijutsu like the boys' is good enough for an academy student with speed, though you are stronger then most girls your age. You also tend to do one of two things while sparing you either rush it or you wait too long. I can understand the need to plan but like Shikamaru's hesitation, it could cost you in a real fight.

"You all have good points too but you tired so you should go home get some rest and meet me here tomorrow morning at ten for the answer. Good night."

When the Special Jounin left the grounds Sakura looked at the other two she smiled at their bedraggled state and knew she looked now better. Her day had been tough, first she had to deal with the nerves of two boys who were less then half the age she was mentally. Then her own nerves as she talked with their prospective examiner/teacher and tried to talk him into giving them a chance. She had no idea that he would accept considering they were all under ten, less then graduating age for the academy nowadays at least.

"So you guys up for something to eat?" she asked with a tilt of her head.

"I'd better get home before mom comes looking for me, so troublesome." Kenji and Sakura both said their good byes as Shikamaru got the energy to move so that his mother wouldn't come looking for him.

"Well Kenji, you want to come over for food or is your mom cooking tonight?" Kenji's mother really could cook, apparently she'd been a chef before marrying Kenji's father and settling down to raise Kenji.

"Aa, she is. She would also like to meet the girl I keep talking about." she could read between the lines and though she'd love too she didn't feel she'd make the right impression and told him so. Kenji understood he always did and that made it not so difficult to hug him and bid him a good night.

**0o0o0**

The next morning Sakura was glad that her parents had not put up much of a fuss when she came home later then she usually did and covered in dirt. They had taken her at her word that it was training that had her like this and not some random attack on her person. She knew that if they saw her this morning they would defiantly rethink their decision to let her into the academy. Her back was a myriad of colors as were her arms and legs and she had big greenish purple bruise on her stomach, mostly likely from where Genma had kicked her.

She took a quick shower and applied a bruise salve on every part of her that she could reach. It was something that she'd been given by Kenji's mother through Kenji two weeks ago. After recapping the container and putting it away she dressed as usual in her dark blue three quarter pants which she did up much like a chunin would with bandages holding down the legs and a black short sleeved shirt which she wore under a dark green vest.

The vest itself was nothing like the one worn by the chunin and jounin of the village, it was simply something she'd remembered Remus wearing and had decided to make her own, slightly more feminine version pockets and all. She had a variety of them, from the dark green she was wearing to an off white that had seals sewn into it to a solid black that was mostly functional.

Placing her kunai pouch on her hip and then adding her scroll of sealing supplies to her body she was ready for the day.

She left a note for her parents and grabbed the leftovers from last night and hightailed it out of there. She had some things she wanted to do before the meeting it was why she'd set her alarm for six instead of sleeping until eight as per her usual.

**0o0o0**

At ten till ten Sakura walked into the training grounds to find that all three boys had beaten her there. Technically speaking only two of them could be considered boys if she added in her prior age she would only be a couple of years older then Genma. Even if she _had _lived through a war it wasn't like she'd really been exposed to much fighting like she was learning now.

"Good, now that you're all here I can tell you the news. The Hokage has allowed for the three of you to be placed in a more advanced class in the academy with the condition that should you fail the graduation exam at the end of the year you would wait until you were ten before taking it again. Agreed?" When the three of them nodded he continued, "Now should you pass there would be two things that could happen. The first being that the three of you would be given to a jounin who would become your instructor. The second option would be that the three of you would be given off to three different instructors for the purpose of educating you in the ways of their specialties of the profession. To be honest the second is most likely. Now I have to ask does this bother you three?"

If Sakura was honest it did but only slightly and only because she wasn't sure she wanted to graduate so early but she shook her head. She wouldn't let them know how it bothered her. She did want to know one thing though.

"Are you going to be teaching us anything Genma -san?" he smiled.

"No, not for now at least. What you have been doing is working for you though your taijutsu needs improvement none of you three really match my style so it wouldn't be a good idea for me to teach you. Maybe later after you've found your own styles you could learn a new one as a back up. Until then just do what you do. Later kids." he was gone and the three of them wondered if graduating early _was_ a good thing.

* * *

**Original A/N:** Alright I'm going to address some of the questions I was asked in reviews. The first thing I want to address is the issue of Super!Harry; if you had somehow gotten this impression then I do apologize it wasn't my intention. My Harry is _Not_ canon at all for a couple of reasons one I don't really like canon Harry and two I couldn't see Canon being okay with the way ninja's do things.

As for the Oc and not Shino issue well that will be answered in the next chapter you'll see there was a good reason for it. Now about when Naruto is coming into the story well, if you had been paying attention you'd've seen he's been mentioned. He'll be introduced to Sakura soon so don't worry.

**New A/N:** Okay so I made some more changes but I'm still writing and I'm going to keep at it.

**~Rose.**


	4. The Vow and the Sensei

**Disclaimer here! Rose doesn't own Harry Potter or Naruto!**

**Part Four**

Two months into the new year in a new class with a new instructor was pissing her off. It wasn't the instructors they were fine and it wasn't even the class in general no what really pissed her off was the constant discussions about _her. _It was like all of the older girls had a tick, a bug that made them coo over her _adorable _looks. If she was honest with herself she was slightly scared of the way they looked at her. She was so ready to take a pointed object to their eyes because they kept traveling toward her when the teachers weren't looking.

When it came to the more girlish aspects of being a _konoichi_ she was nervous every class. One because she had dreams of her life from before and two because the teacher for that class was so strict she was afraid to mess up anything. One of the classes was to arrange a variety of flowers for various ceremonies and occasions and it was one where she was thankful to Luna and Neville for their conversations of the meanings behind flowers. She was even more grateful when the meanings were _almost_ universal.

**0o0o0**

Three months into the new school year and she'd been asked to stay behind for the fourth time in as many days. Because some of the older girls got upset when she pointed out, rather loudly, how unsuited to the life of a ninja they were and how they were most likely to die. Of course she had not been quiet about it so she had been on the receiving end of a few glares and then asked politely to remain behind.

"Sakura if this keeps up I'll have no choice but to keep behind for another year. Do you want me to do that?" Haruhatsu-sensei asked.

Sakura wondered if he knew that she wouldn't mind staying in the academy for another year if he'd do it or not. She knew though that if he got the slightest hint of her feelings he _would_ he was just like that.

"No sensei, I just don't like the comments they make about me and to me. I am not some doll they can play with. And they _have_ tried sensei." he winced but was firm in his stance.

"I can't do anything about that Sakura but you could use it for evasion training."

**0o0o0**

When month five came around with no change in the behavior of her female classmates she decided it was open season for pranks. _'Let the games begin.' _

They began innocent enough bugs in the hair, books mysteriously vanishing only to turn up in the hand of teacher with newly added decorations and glue placed in strategic places such as the toilet seats in the girls bathroom. When, after she'd framed them for the coffee incident, they still refused to back down she decided to pull out the metaphorical big guns. Not Kenji and Shikamaru no, this was her problem and she was going to handle it.

One week into the seventh month all of the girls except her were suddenly overcome with the urge to express their hidden feelings for their teachers.

It was in the words of Kenji "rather wondrous" to observe so many declarations of love in a single day. Nothing could be done until the girls regained control themselves and that didn't happen until the teacher acknowledged the declaration. Either by rejecting or returning the feeling it didn't even have to be true the moment the words were uttered the girl would fall unconscious and would remain that way until the dreams ended.

When the girls woke up only five of them still wanted to be konoichi. It was a good day for Sakura herself because they were the five that had taken their studies seriously. Though she unknowingly altered team assignments Sakura was excited for the rest of the month. Then something went wrong, very wrong.

**0o0o0**

When she opened the door she thought it was Kenji after all he woke her up with his kikaichu and she didn't really know the other members of his family that well. The few times she'd been over to have supper with his family was fairly intimidating. When she'd met his father she thought she was meeting another Snape. As she talked with his family and listened to them talk about clan things it was obvious that Kenji's father and Snape were nothing alike. For one Mukoharu loved his family, treated her fairly and wasn't overly sarcastic for the man did posses a very sarcastic sense of humor and wit at least when he was relaxed.

Still she wasn't sure he would come to her home unless…

She opened the door to the form of Mukoharu and she thought her heart would burst beating as fast as it was. Only to feel as though she'd been punched in the gut at his words.

"Kenji is in the hospital and will most likely not live out the day, come." She dressed in record time and was at the hospital before she could blink. _'Body flicker'_ she thought absently.

"In there." he said pointing towards a door. "He wishes to speak to you privately first."

Sakura was a bundle of nerves as she entered his room, seeing him looking at her so stoically had her nearly in tears. _'Damn this body and its girly reactions. He looks like hell, for him at least.'_

"Sakura you're staring."

"Of course I am, you don't have on your jacket so I can see your face now." she smiled at him and sat gently on the bed. He was looking rather pale, paler even then he usually was and there was sweat beaded on his forehead.

"I wished for you to know that I had more fun then I believed I would in my final year." she whipped her eyes to his faster then she'd ever moved them.

"What do you mean 'my final year'? Did you _know_ this would happen?" she didn't yell not in a hospital but it was a near thing. He smirked, _smirked _the smug bastard.

"I did." she couldn't believe this. The whole time he knew he was dying and he never said a gods damned thing. If he weren't in the hospital bed she'd kill him.

"Kenji you're my best friend, how the hell am I supposed to prank Konoha without you?"

"You still have Shikamaru." she knew that but that wasn't the issue. He was leaving her.

"That's not what I meant and you know it. If that were the case I could get that blond kid you told me about to help me out with pranking." He smiled something that was rare and then he did something even more rare he hugged her.

"I will be here," he pointed to her heart. "Whenever you need to talk to me. Or just to bounce your insane ideas off of."

"I'll say her ideas are insane, it's true then?" Shikamaru had come in all of his slouching glory.

"It is." they shared a hug between the three of them before Kenji began to shake.

Calling for the doctor was only the beginning of the five hour episode to keep Kenji alive. She had thought about using her magic but she had no idea what was wrong with him nor did she know where to begin to help. _'This is the last time, absolutely the last time anyone dies in front of me.'_

**0o0**

His funeral was held two days later and she remade her vow, _"no one dies if I can do anything about it, no one." _

Her vow leads her to begin her education as a medic-nin and a whole slew of doors open for her when Mukoharu pulls some strings for her. It grants her a teacher one Shinko Aburame and a small place in Shinko's lab in which Sakura was assured she would be able to practice to her hearts content. Which she knows she'd never be, she will always wish to be better and make things easier for her.

Her education in the medic field started mostly with books, a seminar on anatomy and minor rolls in helping with the injured patients that came to the small Aburame clinic. Shinko had taken a liking to her and had explained that Kenji was her nephew and he had gushed about her, at least as gushy as an Aburame could get about someone.

"He spoke highly of you Sakura and I am starting to see why."

**0o0o0**

The weeks until the graduation test are filled with her absorbing everything she can, not only with medic ninjutsu but also with refining her seals. The only time she crashed was that first week after the funeral but her friend Shikamaru beat some sense into her with his overly large brain and vocabulary. She was thankful that she still had him, '_no one else' _she's going make sure of that.

Her basic three ninjutsu had become almost seal less by the time the test came around and she knew without a doubt, she _would_ pass.

When the written test didn't cause her to pause and the taijutsu test had the instructor in pain the overseers really began to see why she had been selected to be tested sooner then normal for peace times. When Shikamaru's exam didn't go as well as hers she had to know why so while they were waiting for the ninjutsu portion of the test she asked him.

"Why are you failing?" his response wasn't what she had expected of him but she could understand.

"My father asked me too wait until I was older to pass." it still hurt to think that he would remain in the academy while she went out and did other things.

"Okay." he knew what she was thinking because he drew her into a hug and then let her take her test.

She came out of the room with a new forehead protector and instructions. She was to meet to go to the Hokage tower for a meeting.

**X0x0x0X**

Hiruzen was sure he was doing the right thing as he watched the two of them in his office. When he had met the younger of the two he hadn't been certain that she should be allowed to receive the headband she was so young, not as young as some of the past graduates true but younger then any peace time graduate. He had been skeptical about her until she walked in and had impressed him with her knowledge and her desire to be the best medic since Tsunade of the Sanin. The other person who stood before him was a child genius himself and had been well on his way to being an ANBU however, Hiruzen had felt that this would be a better fit for him.

"Now let me introduce you, Sakura Haruno this is your new sensei Itachi Uchiha. He was just promoted to jonin and you are in fact his apprentice. Do you understand what this means for you?"

**X0x0x0X**

Oh she knew what it meant to be apprenticed to the heir of the Uchiha clan. She would have to walk softly and carry a big stick to deal with the clan if he ever invited her for a visit.

"Yes, sir. It means that I will train exclusively with him unless I'm at the clinic so that my medic training isn't neglected." when neither of them refuted her statement she continued. "I just have one question if I may?" at his nod she said, "Why him? Not that I don't appreciate the opportunity I'm merely wondering."

"It was for a lot of reasons," he began. Her new sensei merely watching the conversation from his position between her and the Hokage. "There is your dual status' as child prodigies. There is also the matter of team placements with your graduating class, we couldn't place you on a team without upsetting the balance of the teams themselves. Now the two of you should get to know each other."

With that dismissal Itachi led Sakura out of the tower and to a small training ground not far from the Uchiha compound.

**X0x0x0xX**

When the Hokage had promoted him to jonin instead of ANBU his father had been furious but he had been relieved. He hadn't wanted the promotion to Anbu but his father had said it would benefit the clan. That was his motto 'do what benefit's the clan' and by placing his son close to the Hokage the clan would benefit.

It was two weeks after his jonin promotion that he met with the Hokage for this assignment. He was to receive a student. One that was becoming known as a prodigy in the medical field apparently. Looking at her though made him question, if only for a moment, the truth of that.

Still he would be her sensei and he would make certain that she didn't burn out like so many child prodigies tended to do.

**X0x0x0X**

Looking at her new sensei Sakura was a little intimidated. Sure she had seen werewolves and vampires and weird snake-like humans but they were magical and not as… emotionless. At least he looked emotionless to her, though she wasn't sure that was the case but it did seem likely.

"Perhaps it would suit us best if we were to introduce ourselves properly?" he asked. His voice was a monotone almost robotic, flat.

"Okay, do you want to go first?"

"My name if Itachi Uchiha, I like pocky." If anyone had been there they would have face planted at the way he said that sentence. As it was Sakura was the only witness to this interesting piece of information.

"Oh, right." she began. "My name is Sakura Haruno, I like my friends and other stuff. I dislike having others underestimate me. My hobbies include dancing and reading."

It was more information then he had given her but she decided that he would eventually meet Shikamaru so keeping him a secret was impractical. She also knew that he would need at least a little bit of information on her that didn't come in her file.

"Very well we begin with and evaluation of your skills."

The evaluation he put her through made her wonder weather or not Genma had just been humoring the three of them a year ago. It was more difficult and definitely more harsh then the one Genma had given to them.

'_Still at least he isn't underestimating me.'_

**0o0o0**

Three weeks later and Sakura wasn't sure if her sensei wasn't trying to kill her. Her days were so full she almost had no time for Shikamaru. Most of her mornings were spent training with him on her speed, accuracy and increasing her reserves. Her chakra control was so near to perfect that Itachi had decided to allow her to continue her own training in it.

If she wasn't training with him in the morning then they were taking D ranks. Which were not as bad as most made them out to be except catching Tora. She hated that cat with a passion and she was glad that they had only had to catch the cat four times before her sensei took them off the list for that mission. The other missions while boring were still beneficial to training and so she tried to keep her complaining to a minimum.

Her afternoons were spent at the Aburame clinic learning the ins and outs of becoming a medic-nin and she was also learning how to run the clinic from Shinko-sensei. Sakura had begun to watch how Shinko-sensei ran the clinic and had taken upon herself to learn all of the protocols and procedures. That way when Shinko-sensei named off a protocol that needed to be acted upon Sakura wasn't lost as to what was going to happen.

When she finished at the clinic she went home to her mother and father most nights. Other nights she went to visit Shikamaru, those night she was exhausted and didn't want to see her parents worry. When she did visit him, he would tell her about his classmates and the loud mouth blond that sat in front of him. The blond had been transferred to the class a week ago and hadn't stopped talking since.

**0o0**

Six weeks after her appointment to genin apprentice Sakura was in the Hokage's office with her sensei and another more interesting man. He was lean, then again most if not all ninja were, about five eleven, had silver gravity deifying hair and he wore the standard jounin outfit. However none of this is what caught her attention, no it was his headband that did. It was covering his left eye.

"It was brought to my attention two hours ago sir." the man was saying.

"I see," the Hokage looked old in that moment. "Very well then. Kakashi, you Itachi and his apprentice will go and find him."

The man, Kakashi looked as though he would protest after a glance at Itachi and Sakura's way. But Itachi beat him to it much to Sakura's shock.

"Sir, with respect Sakura capable as she may be, isn't up to a long term high ranked mission like this. I would prefer she stay behind and in the care of Maito Gai." Sakura was at once grateful he cared and horrified at the thought of being left in Gai-sans care. She didn't know weather to laugh or cry when the Hokage refuted this.

"She has skills that would compliment this mission isn't that right Sakura?" she knew what he was asking and with the way her sensei was looking at her he had no knowledge about what he was speaking of.

"Yes sir." she said softly.

"What skills exactly apprentice?" Itachi asked in that tone that he had, the one that said tell me or you'll be doing drill until you drop and then some.

"I've been making my own seals for a while now sensei." the only surprise he showed was the twitch in his eye. The one he developed shortly after she had been assigned to him. Kakashi on the other hand nodded as though he had confirmed something.

"That settles it then she comes, sir?" he said turning back to the Hokage as Itachi gave his pupil a slight glare-sigh of disappointment that caused her to flinch slightly. "If the mission takes longer then the time limit?" the rest went unsaid. If it took longer they would have to write the man off as KIA.

As the meeting finished there was a knock at the door and then it burst open to admit a blond haired boy about her age. She was curious as to why her sensei and Kakashi both dropped their guard when they saw who it was.

"Oi old man! We have to talk…Oh I didn't know you was meeting with…people?" he sounded curious about them but they had their mission and they had to go. Before she left she heard one last thing, "Naruto it's good to see you…"

**0o0o0**

After leaving the Hokage's office she had to go home to pack and tell her parents that she was off on a mission. _'They're not going to like that.'_

And they hadn't liked it at all but knew better then to argue with her and her assignment.

"You were planning on going to that festival anyway and I'll be back in time to see you off so you don't have to worry. Okay?" she told her parents.

"Alright but be careful, Sakura and know that we love you." her mother, the fierce warrior woman trying not to cry because her baby is going out into the world.

'_Yeah and the moment I'm out of ear shot she'll start balling, I hope papa can keep up with her.'_

"Will you let Shikamaru know that I'm on a long term mission? Oh and please make sure Orion is fed while I'm gone?" when her father nodded she hugged him and ran off to the gate, waving until she was out of their sight.

'_Wonder who the blond kid was?'_

* * *

**Original A/N: **Now you all know why I invented Kenji and his family istead of having her make friends with Shino. And look at that, Itachi and Kakashi both in one chapter. Lord what the hell was I thinking? I seriously need my brain checked because I didn't know how to write _two_ child genius' it just isn't possible. But I told myself _"Self you have to try or the story will never finish"_ So now that they're written please, please laugh **with** me, hahahahahahaha! Such a sorry attempt but whatever.

Hope you got some enjoyment out of the chapter and not just my weird author's note.

**_New A/N:_(4-3-12): **So I changed some more things in this chappy and added some others, do enjoy.

~Rose.


	5. The Pervert and the Invitation

**Disclaimer here! Rose doesn't own Harry Potter or Naruto!**

**Part Five**

Their mission was to find Jiraiya of the Sanin and although Sakura wasn't given the specific reasons behind the mission, she knew it was bad when the two jonin she was with went silent after conferring. They had left the village an hour after the meeting and when they made camp that night Itachi asked her about her seal making skills.

"I've been curious about them for a while and began making my own not to long ago. This should actually be in my file Itachi-sensei. I used them when Genma-san evaluated myself and two of my friends, he even spoke with the Hokage. I don't know why you weren't informed."

She was nervous he would be angry with her so she had rambled a bit. As it was though she didn't have to be worried.

"You are correct, that information should have been in your file considering the Hokage had been informed. There are many reasons why something like this would be left out." he turned to Kakashi and received a nod in response to the unspoken query.

If information about her seal making had been left out of her file then someone who had access obviously couldn't be trusted with it. Sakura was unsure as to the reason why some one would keep information about a budding seal maker from their potential sensei. It made no sense really unless, well unless they had plans to either get rid of her or to use her in some way. _'Great, now I have to watch my back in my own village. Suppose it wouldn't be the first time.'_

Over the course of their mission she decided she would continue to refine her seals to make them better and easier for her to use. After all it took time to make seals so if she found a way to utilize them without paper and ink, well she had time to work on it now.

**X0x0x0X**

Kakashi wasn't sure about the girl at first even if she was good with seals and was a blooming medical prodigy. He was sure that wasn't the real reason the Hokage sent her along on the mission. Watching her over the course of their journey he found himself respecting her, just a little.

She was very conscious of how her sensei was feeling even if Itachi didn't show any emotion. It was an interesting thing to witness really. She would hand Itachi a canteen full of water before Kakashi himself realized that Itachi was thirsty. Sometimes she would move closer to or further away from him somehow sensing Itachi's needs.

'_It is interesting how in sync she is with him. Wonder how long it'll take before she's aware of me? Or if she'll even be able to sense my emotions.'_

It was a bit obvious to Kakashi that it had taken her a while to become accustomed to Itachi however, the three of them were going to be around each other almost constantly for the next month. She would have a lot of time to get to know him and he would have the time to get to know her.

'_Though I do know a little about her anyway.'_

**X0x0x0X**

When they finally found Jiraiya almost a month later; he was peeping on a bath house in a village on the border of wind country. It was a good thing they'd found him because their mission time was almost up. Though she had learned a lot more then she had thought she could about her sensei and even Kakashi-san she was certain they had learned more then they had wanted about her as well.

It was the giggling that drew her to the bath house. It was something she remembered from her other life something that reminded her of boys and magazines. So turning the corner she wasn't as surprised to see the white haired man.

Kakashi had told her of the sanin's so called 'research' and at first she had been horrified. Then she was horrified and she was horrified, after all she remembered being a boy and having a healthy interest in girls. It was after getting her backside kicked by her sensei that she decided that it couldn't distract her anymore so she decided to think on it _very_ carefully. After all she remembered how the girls from her graduating class had acted around the boys. _'They had been horrified to learn that I wasn't interested in that sort of thing, but now?'_ now she had the time to actually think about it a bit more thoroughly.

She first thought about what would attract her to someone, _'That's simple enough, someone who I can be myself around. Someone that I can trust not to betray me for any reason what so ever.'_

Though in a society like this one, that would be very difficult to come across, people tended to have prior loyalties and reasons for their betrayals. _'Hell even Mr. Lovegood had a reason for doing what he did…. Not that it made it any better to have him betray us but it was a difficult situation.'_

Then she began to think over all of the people she knew and was brought to an outstanding conclusion. She was a girl sure but with her other life in her mind she would never be able to differentiate between male and female companions in a romantic sense. It just wasn't going to happen, she would love someone or she wouldn't. There really was no way she would be able to pick one sex as better then the other. And the most outstanding thing about the whole situation was that she found herself not caring about that fact at all.

'_After all,' _she told herself, _'love is just love. When you start labeling it, life becomes complicated and harsh.'_

Still looking at the pervert she knew how she needed to react and so she did, "Eek! Pervert!" and with those words she _smirked_ at the white haired man and ran as the mob of angry toweled clad women ran out of the bath house. He was lucky none of them were ninja they knew how to hurt someone.

**0o0**

Catching up with her sensei and Kakashi at the hotel she explained why she was late and then motioned to the doors when the pervert strolled trough.

"Ah, Kakashi hand over the gaki please."

Sakura was trying very hard not to laugh at his rumpled appearance and managed to squeak out that she was going up to the room. Before bolting so that she could laugh in private only to have the three of them come up after her.

"What did you do Sakura?" Itachi asked her.

"She made sure every woman in a ten mile radius came after me, that's what she did. I was innocently doing some research for my newest book, when there was this high pitched girly voice shouting about perverts. Gaki-chan that was mean." he looked like a kicked puppy but an old puppy one on the brink of adulthood so it didn't have much of an impact. In fact it almost made her laugh at him, again.

"At least I made sure you saw me and stuck around long enough for you to follow me back to my mission leader and sensei. You really shouldn't make a face like that Jiraiya-san it doesn't suit you."

Turning form the surprised pervert to her sensei she asked, "Would it be alright if I went out to practice my medic jutsu?"

"Itachi why don't you go with her?" Sakura was sure Kakashi wanted to speak to Jiraiya about their mission and she wanted to listen in but knew it was folly with Itachi following her out of the room.

"So sensei, where do you think would be the best place for me to practice?"

**X0x0x0X**

Itachi knew that as mission leader Kakashi needed to talk with Jiraiya alone about the reason they were here. He was just cautious as to why Sakura wished to practice her jutsu now instead of in the village were she was safer.

"Perhaps it would be best if we relocated to a clearing and worked more on your combat seals?"

She looked ready to protest before changing her mind, "Alright but I have to admit most of them aren't ready and the ones that are, I made them so that they made a big boom."

He simply shook his head at her and began to walk with her away from the village to the forest that surrounded it. It was then that he felt someone following him and his student, he knew it was a ninja but what rank and village were a mystery though with the feel of the chakra, it was likely a jonin.

Glancing at his student he noticed her tensing and relaxing in time to the nearness of the ninja following them, _'It's a good thing she can feel the nin and even better that she's preparing herself mentally.'_

**X0x0x0X**

It was interesting to watch her sensei go into ninja mode and she was thankful he did when that fish man finally turned up in front of them. She had noticed him following her sensei and herself not long after they left the hotel, though his chakra signature mostly stayed nearer to Itachi then to her, she wasn't certain who it was that he had come for.

When he stepped in front of them it became obvious, to her at least, that he had no interest in _her_. She'd seen that look on a number of people in her other life, he wanted Itachi-sensei, dead or alive she wasn't sure which and it made her nervous.

"Well look what we have here an Uchiha all alone except for a pink haired kid playing ninja. I would love to fight but I come with an invitation instead." Sakura wasn't sure what the hell was going on but she needed to watch her sensei's back so she extended her chakra sense as far as she could.

"The organization I represent wants you to join them for various reasons Uchiha and it wouldn't be wise of you to decline. I am however, allowed to give one day so that you can come to a decision. So tomorrow I'll find you again." with that the over grown fish-man was gone.

Sakura turned to her sensei with a frown on her face, "If he wanted to be covert about his organization or …"

"I know Sakura." she blushed at his slight reprimand.

'_Of course all of this would've occurred to him already. Still there was no one else in range of my senses then again his are better then mine.' _she thought as they continued on their way.

"Sensei?" he glanced at her with a questioning "hn?"

"Why do you think he would give you the invitation in front of me?" he stiffened for a second and then relaxed again. _'Oh that's why, the guy sees me as expendable. Well he'll find out that sensei isn't one with whom you fuck.'_

**X0x0x0X**

Itachi was sure his student had only asked him those questions to give him a heart attack. She should have already known the answers after all. He would need to talk to Jiraiya and Kakashi as they were his closest superiors.

"Sakura we need to return to the hotel." it was nice that she didn't argue with him. He didn't think he would be able to hold his tongue. _'Why had Kisame Hoshigaki come to me?'_

**X0x0x0X**

Sakura was worried about her sensei, after the fish-man had gone and they returned to the hotel she was sent to her room to read up one seal theory. The scroll came courtesy of Jiraiya.

'_They must really not want me to over hear what they're talking about.' _she smirked, for a second taking after her sensei, _'They should know better especially sensei.'_

It hadn't taken long after they had left on their mission that she had almost perfected her Seals of Subterfuge, as she like to refer to them. A series of two seals that allowed her to listen in on their conversation, of course it wouldn't have worked if their rooms hadn't shared a wall. She hadn't thought ahead and placed the first seal in their room and so had to place it on the wall the two rooms shared.

The seals worked two ways, the first way they worked was very much like a tape recorder, sort of. The first seal would record something for playback; the second seal would then allow the person to listen to the recording. She had made sure that her first seal could hold an abundance of noise by adding a compression seal which, as the name suggests compresses everything.

The second way the seals worked was like the two way mirrors though without the picture, a simple phrase and a small application of chakra and then there was sound. She chose the second option for this bit of eaves dropping.

There was a small bit of static a first and then, "…clouds on his cloak. However I am certain it was Kisame Hoshigaki." that was the voice of her sensei. Though it sounded like it was coming from a chipmunk and she had to fight a giggle.

Something she had to work on she guessed, before she introduced the seals to someone else at least. _'Maybe not it'd be funny to see the look on someone's face when they hear a chipmunks voice instead of a normal human voice.'_

"I have heard rumors of an organization that wore cloaks like that. My old teammate is supposed to be a member, I'm not positive though." Jiraiya's voice come through the seal next and at this point she knew she'd have to do something about the quality of playback. Otherwise she or anyone else might give themselves away by giggling like mad at the ridiculous sounding voices that were heard. For now though she'd have to deal with the voices and try not to laugh out loud.

"Well there really is only one option we have, Hoshigaki has to go," there was a silence that met Kakashi's declaration. And with a start Sakura realized that he was right, Kisame had seen her and allowed her to hear his invitation to her Sensei.

There really was only one option unless Itachi took the invitation and Sakura knew he would never willingly leave his little brother.

"Very well then. Tomorrow I refuse his offer and he will most likely begin a fight to bring me into his organization."

And it scared Sakura for a moment, her sensei was going to fight an S-rank missing nin. After all she couldn't be there and neither could the other two, but knowing Kakashi he would find a way to guard his subordinate. It was just how he was she knew even if she had only known him for a month.

It was Jiraiya that was the wild card and she wasn't sure what to make of that.

**0o0**

The next day she had to be sure not to tense when Kakashi asked her to spar with her to get her used to going up against other people and not just her sensei. When she looked at Itachi for permission he nodded and shooed her away, he was a good actor and if she hadn't been looking for it she'd have missed the sadness in his eyes. Though it was only there for a moment then it was gone again she was absolutely sure she had seen it.

Kakashi took her to a clearing that was very far from the village and the fight that was soon to come. He did spar with her but the spar was only half assed at best, on both their parts. The third time she was caught in a arm lock he spoke up.

"You're not paying any attention to our spar, you're hurting my feelings." she huffed at his eye smiling face before she replied.

"Your one to talk Taicho-baka, if I had been an enemy you'd be dead from the number of times you've allowed my to hit your left side." he released her to look at his vest and sure enough there were marks indicating that she could have used her medical knowledge to foul him.

"You're both dead in any case," came the mellow voice that would always and forever be associated with pedophiles and snakes.

"Orochimaru." was the reply from Kakashi.

**X0x0x0X**

Kakashi couldn't help but be worried about Itachi and Jiraiya and their upcoming fight with Hoshigaki. They were both capable he knew that, he only worried that Hoshigaki may not be alone.

'_After all if he's with an organization then perhaps he has a partner? It seems reasonable to assume that he would have one.'_

The direction of his thoughts was the only reason he was caught slightly off guard when _his_ voice came from the treetops.

"You're both dead in any case."

'_Of all the people to be partners with Hoshigaki, why did it have to be him?'_

"Orochimaru," great, now he had to fight someone who was considered the genius of his generation.

'_I have to make sure he doesn't kill Sakura, Itachi would have my head.'_ Not that he was afraid of the teenager but it wouldn't look good for him if he killed a comrade, _'Even if it was in self defense._'

**X0x0x0X**

Itachi was thinking similarly to his mission leader in regards to the probability that Hoshigaki may not be by himself. It was the one thing that had come across his mind yesterday when he and Jiraiya had been talking about how they wanted this to play out. They all had known that there was little chance that this would be settled without a fight but that didn't mean they had to drag it out.

Itachi had thought to bring up the likely hood of Hoshigaki's having a partner but had decided that the others had more then likely already thought about it. If either of them wanted to they would bring up the subject themselves.

'_I know Kakashi-senpai will look after Sakura but I hope she doesn't take any unnecessary risks should Hoshigaki actually __**have**__ a partner. If she dies, I'll kill her.'_ he knew that his thoughts on his student probably weren't as complimentary as they should be but he knew his student. _'She's hardheaded and likes to place others before herself and while I admire the second most times…. If she can't keep her head this time….'_ he really didn't know what he would do.

While he and Jiraiya were waiting for the swordsman to show himself at a clearing opposite from where Kakashi had taken Sakura for their spar, his thoughts left his student to wonder about the man that issued the invitation.

_'He's a swordsman, one of the seven swordsmen of mist and a chakra power house according to the bingo books.'_ It didn't matter much to him in either case, _'I have to win. I will not leave Sasuke behind for the clan to turn him into a weapon, like they did...'_ His thoughts left the man to his decision to decline the invitation.

It had been an easy decision in the end. He would decline not only because he didn't wish to leave his brother but also, _'Sakura, my student, needs me as well. Though she likes to believe herself independent she is still just a kid and a genin.'_

"Heh, and here I was hoping you'd just say yes. Then again this should be more fun." were the words of the large swordsman as he came into the clearing. It wasn't long though before he engaged Itachi in battle.

"When I beat you into the ground short stuff you're going to join us, because that's my mission. And I never fail in my missions."

With Jiraiya watching calmly from the side the fight was on between the fourteen year old jonin and the S-rank missing nin from mist.

**X0x0x0X**

Watching Kakashi fight made Sakura feel as though she would never be good enough to protect her friends and family. Sure she remembered most of what she'd learned from her other life but _this_, Kakashi's fight with this Orochimaru guy was insane.

At first her eyes couldn't keep up with how fast they were moving and then she tried something she would never have considered if this were a normal situation, she channeled some of her magic into her eyes. The difference was _amazing_, she could see everything they were doing and had to remember to breath they came to close to her leaking killing intent.

For an instant she was small, tiny even, and the warmth that had been there before was gone in a flash of green fire and she was next it was in the very air that surrounded her and then she was fine, they had moved on and she was safe. She wanted no _needed_ to be more then safe though, she wanted Kakashi safe and undamaged she _needed_ for this to end.

Using the very little time that she had she created a seal array that she had only field tested once but she knew it would work, she hoped. When she was finished she had to wait until there was a pause in the fight so that she could use her seal. The pause came but it wasn't how she thought it would come about, her sensei and Jiraiya came running into the clearing and the two fighters paused.

She thought the fight would continue but Orochimaru took one look at them and _smirked_ before he vanished in a swirl of leaves.

"Well that bites." was her muttered repose to him leaving. "I didn't even get to test my seal."

Unfortunately or fortunately Jiraiya heard her and the glance he sent her way promised a long, long talk. The look her squad members gave her were a little worse, Kakashi eye smiled but looked ready to pass out and Itachi well _that_ look promised drills, drills and more drills when they got back to Konoha.

**0o0**

Whenthey returned to the hotel Sakura made sure to heal both Kakashi and Itachi. Because both of them hadn't had the common sense to make sure that their injuries weren't severe and that they wouldn't bleed to death.

Itachi had a small multitude of torn flesh and his chakra stores were obviously low but over all he wasn't in too bad shape. Whereas Kakashi, well the silver haired man was a patchwork of bruises and cuts that had come too close to his major arteries for her liking. They stayed quiet while she worked and the moment she was done Jiraiya none to gently ejected her from the room.

It was so obvious that they hadn't wanted her in the room while they discussed everything that had taken place that day. It rankled her that no matter her reputation at being a prodigy they hadn't wanted her in on the conversation. She supposed that it had something to do with how young she was and perhaps her rank as well.

'_It's a good thing that I left one of my subterfuge seals behind. I __**will**__ know what it is that they said, after all information is the greatest weapon one could have in this world.'_

Instead of just waiting around for their conversation she made the most of the time she had by soaking in a bath to relax and to experiment with channeling magic into her eyes. _'I could do the same with chakra,'_ was the thought that crossed her mind as she gathered her hair for a wash. _'Then again I trust my magic more so then I do my chakra,' _even if Gaia had granted her both.

It had been in one of her conversations with her Mother that she had learned that when Mother Chaos and Father Universe had remade Gaia they had changed her as well. They had made her stronger and though she still had magic it was something that very few could use at all and most of them had no use at all for chakra.

'_My new children don't know about magic or the Chosen of eras past.'_ she had said to Sakura and didn't elaborate more then that.

Regardless Sakura had simply enough, _known_ and trusted her magic more so then she did her chakra no matter that they both cam from Gaia. _'I suppose trusting in my magic is a good thing but in this world I can't afford to throw any useful tool away. So I suppose one day I'll try doing this with chakra too.'_

Finishing up her hair she started to play around with her magic slowly curling it out around her and then bringing it back in before she felt ready to experiment with her eyes.

She began slowly and moved a small amount of magic to her eyes and waited for the results. Then the steam moved a bit and she could _see_.

It was like everything had been in black and white and now,_ now_ it was in color. The soft blues and deep greens of the bathing room seemed all the more livelier now. She could even see the slight tinting of the different shades as they moved around the room, when she had first come into the room she thought it was only two colors green and blue but _now._ Now it was like looking at a painting that only a _master_ of the craft could do.

Once she grew accustomed to the colors of the room she decided to see if the magic changed her eyes somehow. She didn't want one of the others to see her eyes and start to believe she had an as yet undiscovered bloodline limit. That would totally ruin her life because she knew if the council found out they would sign her up for the Clan Restoration Act (CRA) faster then she could say 'no.'

Originally the CRA was designed for males with some sort of bloodline limit, then the parameters had changed to clans who had been wiped out but **now!** Now, if some special ability showed up in someone inside of Konoha they could be _forced _to begin a clan so that the village could benefit. Sakura was all for helping the village but, _'But not at the expense of __**my**__ happiness! I will __**not**__ marry someone just so that the elders can boast of a new bloodline.'_

After soaking a bit more she decided she would rather not turn into a fish, _'Especially if Hoshigaki is how I'd turn out.'_

Pulling herself out of the bath and wrapping herself in a towel she made her way over to the mirror that was situated above the sink. She was happy they had gotten rooms with private baths attached, she was still a little uncomfortable at an onsen. Sure she could still appreciate the female figure but there was only so much _flesh _she could take.

Looking into the mirror brought about two emotions in her one of relief and another of worry. The worry came from the fact that her eyes _had _been changed by the magic she channeled into them.

The green of her eyes had become a mixture of a warm gold and a deep pine green while a white swirl pattern bracketed them; one she likened to butterfly wings. With one wing in each eye taking the place of her pupils and flowing out the way she was put into the mindset of the celtic rings Hermione had given to her once. Hermione had given Harry the rings because he had announced that he wanted to be able to have symbols for their friendship but had had no idea what to get. So Hermione had taken it upon herself to get the rings and had etched a few protections runes in them. _"To protect our friendship and love for each other."_ were the words she had uttered to him when she had given him his ring.

Coming out of her memory Sakura hoped that was all that would change about her eyes when she channeled magic into them in the future. She knew she would continue to channel her magic for then plain fact that it helped her keep up with the high level fight. The relief she had felt came from the fact that Kakashi and Orochimaru had most likely been too busy fighting to get a good look at her eyes. She was also relieved she had pulled the magic out of them when the other two showed up or she wouldn't have been able to keep it a secret, for now at least. She knew it wouldn't remain a secret forever but she could hope. _'Lord help me if Itachi-sensei finds out before I have the chance to tell him myself. He'll kill me if he thinks I'm keeping another secret from him.'_

**X0x0x0X**

After dismissing Sakura to her room for the night Kakashi opened the discussion with the other two, "So I take it the fight went well?"

"As well as could be expected considering Hoshigaki is a chakra powerhouse and an excellent swordsmen. Itachi held his own quite well for a newbie to the jonin rank though if they hadn't been interrupted I would've had to join in." the look he received from Itachi on anyone else would've been a glare, as it was it was simply one which conveyed his dislike at the sanin for diminishing his skills.

"Interrupted?"

"Yeah by a puppet master, couldn't tell _who_ but I know a puppet when I see one."

"Alright well your old teammate can be officially labeled as being a part of an organization now rather then just a single missing nin." Kakashi said while he rearranged himself in the chair he was sitting on.

"Yeah, now I have more to do but I was going to do it anyway, so was there anything else or can I go back to my research?" he had actually begun to head toward the door when Kakashi spoke up.

"Did either of you know that Sakura had a Dojutsu?"

That stopped the sanin in his tracks and made Itachi turn to Kakashi with a mildly interested look on his face.

"She activated it just now during the fight, I think. I didn't get a good look at it but my guess is, it's something new to her as well as to us." they all knew what that meant. If there was a new dojutsu and the council found out they would make her breed a new clan just so Konoha could boast a new bloodline to their collection.

"For now it stays between the three of us, if sensei needs to know I'll tell him." this came from Jiraiya and surprisingly enough or not, neither jonin disagreed with him.

'_Well I hope the genin knows that she is going to have the Uchiha prodigy looking at her __very,__ very closely now.'_ Kakashi didn't feel any guilt at telling the girls sensei or the sanin but he did feel a little unsure as to how a civilian born genin had a dojutsu. _'Most dojutsu began with someone but the rumors….'_

The rumors surrounding how someone ended up with an eye jutsu was something he hoped was untrue. He didn't want to know which demon gave her, her new eyes.

**X0x0x0X**

Sakura knew something was wrong when Itachi began pressed her harder during their morning spar session. She hadn't had a chance to listen to the recoding of their conversation yet and it was becoming obvious to her that _something_ had been said. He hadn't pushed her this hard since she made the mistake of being late to one of their meetings, and it hadn't even been her fault!

She concluded that he was either very cross or very worried, when he let her score a hit on him she figured he was worried.

"Sensei?" she called when he broke off their third clash, and continued when she had his attention. "Are you alright?"

She must have startled him because he didn't immediately respond with the usual 'hn' that signified his okay-ness. When he didn't attack either she yielded and moved closer to him to speak with him without doing it loudly.

"Itachi-sensei, if you aren't feeling alright we should hold off on the spar." the way he looked at her made her feel small for a moment before she remembered that she _was _older then he was, at least mentally. "I'm serious sensei, you push yourself to hard sometimes and I worry about you." It was true she worried about him and not just because he was her sensei but he was, she liked to think, her friend.

"I'm fine Sakura, I merely learned something last night I hadn't expected." his response was low but said in an unexpected soft tone of voice.

"Oh, okay."

"This is all for now, Sakura. Dismissed." Sakura nodded and gathered her things before leaving the clearing.

"And Sakura? We will be leaving as soon as we are checked out of the hotel," he called after her. She waved to show that she'd heard him and continued on her way. If they were leaving soon she needed to get a bath quick.

**~XOXOXOX~**

**Original A/N:** Okay I couldn't find an exact picture of what I wanted for the design in her eyes but I did find something similar link below.

Now before anyone suggests I'm turning her into a Super!Awesome!AllPowerful!Sakura it won't happen (Not if I can help it) But she will become something better then she'd been as Harry.

Now about fight scenes (or lack there of), I am pitiful at them, I can't write them because when I do they come out like a five year olds version of SuperAwesomeFights, that is to say it becomes _**cheesy**_ so I will leave it to your imaginations as to how those fights went.

Also if Kakashi and Itachi seem a bit more powerful then in canon Or OOC, I'm sure I mentioned something about this being an **AU** if I haven't well, **IT IS fully AU!**

tattoo .webtree .info /wp-content /uploads /2012 /02 /Celtic- Butterfly- tattoos- 1 .jpg

**New A/N:** (4-3-12): Now I have changed this chapter as well, I hope it makes a bit more sense.

~Rose.


	6. The Return and Shikamaru

**Disclaimer here! Rose doesn't own Harry Potter or Naruto!**

**Part Six**

The journey back to Konoha didn't take nearly as long as the mission but that was how it usually went according to Kakashi and she wasn't about to protest. Although she wasn't told the details as to why they had needed to find the sanin she did piece a little of it together.

It seems there was discontent in the village among those in power and one of the larger clans, which clan she wasn't sure. Jiraiya as far as she could tell was being recalled for two reasons; one, his reports hadn't been getting to the village as often as the Hokage liked and two, he had something, she thought, that could help with the situation.

When she had finally had a moment to herself she listened to the recording and was upset that she had underestimated Kakashi. She really should've known that he had seen the change in her eyes, _'He __is__ a legend in his own right after all and I did spend a month in his company. I should have known he would notice the change in my eyes. But that also means….'_

It also meant that Orochimaru had seen her eyes and even if he hadn't she had to plan as if he had and that meant one thing.

'_I have to tell Itachi-sensei about it.'_ that worried her a little more then the fact that Orochimaru had most likely seen her eyes. _'Which says something about my priorities doesn't it? Still, what the hell am I supposed to say to him? _

"_Oh hey sensei I have magical eyes and I mean magical because I happen to be a reincarnation of a twenty-one year old war veteran. Who just so you know, happens to be a wizard too." Yeah because that would go over like a bag of bricks.'_

She continued to think about how to tell her sensei about her ability in such a way that he wouldn't recommend her to the psychiatric ward of the ninja hospital. In the end she decided to tell him a mixed truth and hope that it worked.

'_How am I supposed to deal with Kakashi and Jiraiya though? They know too and it could become a problem later.'_ In the end she decided to deal with Itachi first to see how things went.

Later when they set up camp for the night she found her sensei while he was on his watch and began a conversation, "Sensei?"

When he turned to her to show she had attention she continued, "When Kakashi fought Orochimaru something happened to my eyes."

She could tell she had his attention fully when he tensed for a second but she didn't let on about knowing that he knew.

"They itched and then I could _see_ the fight, but before the itching I couldn't keep up with how fast they were moving. Just before you and Jiraiya arrived I thought I felt something in my eyes so I rubbed them and then things went back to normal."

Itachi was looking at her like he'd never seen her before but Sakura was certain that he wouldn't call her on her bull. _'No matter how obvious the bullshit is he won't call me on it. At least not here where anyone can overhear us, later though in the village I'm going to get it.'_

She could just picture the torture he would put her through all in the name of 'training.'

"It may be that you have a latent dojutsu that activated due to the amount of killing intent. There are ways to test the theory but I would prefer it if you simply tried channeling your chakra to your eyes." He looked at her and she could see the question in his eyes.

"I can try sensei."

"Not too much Sakura just a small amount should do and remember your channeling the charka not focusing it into your eyes." she nodded when turned to face her completely.

She was mildly worried about what he would do when he didn't feel any of her chakra moving when her eyes changed but she knew that it was sink or swim time. Something she had had a lot of practice with in her other life.

'_After all how many young wizards faced possessed professors when they were eleven or sixty foot snakes that could kill you with __**their**__ eyes at twelve. Not many that's for sure and if there had been any they probably hadn't lived to tell their tale.'_

Slowly she moved some of her magic into her eyes and felt something change, taking out her mirror, one she used to peak around corners, she saw what had changed. Her butterfly wings had grown out past her iris and had darkened a bit, but of course she didn't tell Itachi-sensei.

"Well it seems we need to add dojutsu training to your regimen."

Stunned all she could do was nod but she could help but think, _'I hope I live to tell this tale it would be nice to have someone know it.'_

**0o0**

On the second day of their return trip Jiraiya had pulled her aside and grilled her about her seals and why she had started using them. An hour later he looked like he was going to hyperventilate with the things she had told him.

"You mean to tell me you got into seal making because YOU WANTED TO PRANK PEOPLE?" She hadn't known that a voice as deep as his could reach that high an octave without some precious jewels being crushed in the process.

'_You would think that his had already dropped considering his age but then again maybe not. Anything is possible haven't I already learned that lesson?'_ Looking at the overgrown child she sighed but answered him nonetheless.

"Well short version is yes. The longer version would be no, however you have the gist of it." she said.

It was Kakashi who broke into the childish fit Jiraiya seemed about ready to have due to everything she'd said. "I thought that might have been you who had pranked the Hokage Tower a year ago. Especially when Naruto didn't take credit for it. Though it seems you have matured since then." He did his weird eye smile thing and went back to his book. She really wanted to learn how to do that eye smile thing, it looked so cool. _'Plus I'd love to freak people out by smiling with my eyes and not my mouth.'_

"Na, I haven't matured much. I just stopped pranking because…." She stopped talking and looked at her feet, it was because of Kenji that she had stopped pranking. She didn't know if she would ever prank anyone with out thinking of him and Shikamaru hadn't been really big on pranking in the first place.

"Oh, well at least I know who finally got the tower over one."

**X0x0x0X**

He had been sure it was her who had pranked the tower and he was glad to have been proven right. He hadn't been on tower duty when she had accomplished the chaos and disorder but he had heard all about it later that week.

'_It was a surprise that someone managed to prank the tower with all of the Anbu but according to Crow they were spread pretty thin that week.'_ Someone had brought back a flu that the other Anbu had caught before anyone had noticed anything. _'It was her lucky break really that she'd chosen that week and another one.'_

When he had come to the tower for his slot at tower duty the Hokage had called him into his office and assigned him a small mission. The elder shinobi had requested that he watch over the girl for a little while. The order itself came before he'd even been told about the prank and had caused him to almost question the order.

Before he could though the Hokage had piqued his curiosity with a short statement, "She'll surprise you Kakashi."

When he left the office Crow had told him about the prank and his curiosity had doubled.

He had watched her when she was with her friends and when she was by herself for almost two weeks before the Hokage had sent him on his last official mission for the Anbu corps.

'_And all of the things I learned in those two weeks it was how she seemed to be more grown up then her friends that had me wanting to stick around some more.'_ it had been because it was his last mission as Anbu that he had left off watching her.

After eight years of service to Anbu he'd been one of the seniors by the time he'd finally hung up his mask to go back to the regulars. But occasionally he would find himself seeking out a pink haired girl who could do interesting things with seals.

'_Her sealing has come along nicely and her genjutsu isn't bad considering she only has two mastered. With Itachi as her sensei though it makes sense that he would train her in genjutsu.'_ his thoughts on Sakura changed from the past to the present as he went over how she had conducted herself on the mission at hand.

'_She's quiet, knows when to speak up and when not to. She isn't likely to do something dangerous without consulting someone if there's time for it.'_ that had been a lesson in Sakura that he and Itachi both had had to learn.

A week into the mission they had been camping outside of a village known for its…_hospitality_ towards the wealthy when the lesson had begun. Sakura had found a woman underdressed and fending off three men who wanted to…. She put a stop to it and made certain that the woman was alright before she escorted the frightened woman back to her hostel.

Kakashi and Itachi both had been curious and a little put out about why she would do something like that on a mission like theirs. Her answer hadn't been what the two prodigies had expected to hear. "Being a ninja is great but I won't ever and I mean _ever_ allow a woman to go through that if I can stop it. It isn't right nor is it fair and yes I know that life screws us all but it doesn't have to be literal."

She had gone straight to bed after that and Kakashi hadn't woken her for her watch that night.

Looking at her now Kakashi could see she had lost herself in memories, memories he knew of the Aburame she had befriended near two years previous. He knew that the boy had died, some sort of disease that ate away at his organs it had been a small miracle that the child had lived as long as he had in the first place.

"You know kid if you want, I could teach you what I know about seals." the sanin said after he digested everything Sakura told him.

Kakashi watched as she shook herself and narrowed her eyes at the man, "Hmm, I don't know. You _are_ a pervert after all." He almost laughed out loud at the look on his favorite authors face.

"I admit to being a super pervert but I'm _**not**_ a lolicon!" it was shouted out and only small feminine giggles stopped the sanin from ranting.

Kakashi was very amused by the child and glancing over at the young jonin who was the girls sensei, he could tell Itachi was amused as well. He would definitely have to stick around the kid, she was fun.

'_Now I wonder how long it will take before the kid tells us about her eyes?'_ the jounin thought as his eyes turned back to his book.

**X0x0x0X**

Itachi watched her as they made their way back to the village, he was worried about how she might react to having a dojutsu. Shutting down like that wasn't a good thing at all and he was certain that she'd never done that before. He was thankful that it hadn't lasted long but watching her, he noticed that she would make sure she didn't draw their attention longer then necessary.

It was a reaction he recognized as the one he'd shown when he had first activated his sharingan. He hadn't wanted to be seen as different from any of the other children and so had kept it a secret for as long as possible.

'_It had been folly though, that had been the reason Shisui had followed me one day to my training grounds that day. I suppose I could have been a bit more tactful but I was tired, oh so tired that day.'_ He had been training his sharingan for three months before Shisui had come along seen what he had been doing. The older boy had promptly made his father aware of that fact as well.

He loved his cousin very much but that day, '_That day,' _he thought, '_I could have dismembered him for babbling about my secret.'_

It had been the only thing that he'd ever had for himself and now, he looked at his student, now he was teaching someone who might go through worse.

'_It won't happen,' _he decided, _'not if I have anything to say about it.'_

She was his student and as such was his responsibility until she became a chunin and he would make sure that she was as safe as someone could be in their occupation.

**X0x0x0X**

Sakura was happy that it had only taken three days to get back to the village she was really tired of looking over her shoulder. It was one of those things that the 'adults' hadn't wanted to disturb her with. The fact that they might have been followed but she was smart enough to know that people like them didn't give up easily. She made sure to stick close to her sensei without being overly up-front about it, she didn't think she managed considering who her sensei was.

Walking back into the village had a weird affect on her, it was like there had been a blanket covering her eyes and now, she could see. She saw how people would stop and look at her sensei and then begin to whisper to their neighbor as they passed. Her eyes also spotted how Itachi would notice them but he ignored it, just like she had. The whispers and looks followed them all the way to the tower.

Usually when she had finished her mission she would turn in a report to the missions desk and receive her payment but with the nature of _this_ mission and the people involved, they went directly to the Hokage. They were lucky he was finishing up a meeting when they arrived.

"Jiraiya-kun, nice to see you again." were the words of one the oldest living shinobi.

"Well you know how I like the research opportunities of our lovely village."

Sakura rolled her eyes at the mans response it was childish and so him, Kakashi was almost as bad with his chronic need to read smut.

When she happened to call it smut in his (Jiraiya's) hearing the reply was that his books were _literature_ and that she 'wouldn't understand' because she was young. She had wanted to say that she'd already read them and hadn't found them to be as interesting as the man thought they were, if only to see the look on his face.

Instead she had shaken her head and said that she probably wouldn't his _literature_ even if she did understand. Of course she would keep her small collection a secret, no need for him to know about it after all.

The Hokage's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Well now Sakura-chan, you may leave, here is your pay for the mission and remember no one is to know the details of your mission." he hadn't had to say that but she was alright with it. Collecting her payment slip from the Hokage she slipped out the door to go to the bank to make her deposit.

It had been Itachi-sensei's idea that she get an account separate from her parents so that she could learn to keep up with her earnings. She had to admit it was better then sharing with her parents for the simple fact that she didn't have to explain why she bought things when she did. Her parents weren't so happy because they hadn't wanted her to grow up so quickly but they hadn't protested as hard as they had when she asked to be placed in the academy.

After making her deposit and then spending a couple of hours at her house one to clean up, (her and her things) she spent another with her parents before they finally left for the festival like they'd planned. She also played with Orion for a little while before deciding that it wouldn't be too much trouble to bring him along with her as she headed out to visit Shikamaru.

Since it was Saturday she was certain he would be cloud watching or playing shogi with his father. Sakura decided to check his favorite cloud watching spots before checking the clearing they'd claimed as theirs. Half an hour later she found him lazing about in their clearing with another boy who was eating a bag of chips.

Orion was obviously happy to have more people to play with as he ran over to the two boys and promptly jumped on Shikamaru.

"Omphf," Sakura giggled at her friends slightly pained groan.

"Sakura call your mutt." he said as she came into hearing range. She knew he didn't like to yell if he didn't have to.

"Oi! Don't call my little man a mutt, your laziness." he gave her a look but didn't say anything as she called to Orion to behave himself.

"So, you were gone a while." rolling his head to look at her before motioning to the empty space beside him.

"Mission." she said as she sat beside him a tilt to her head in his friends direction.

"Hmm. This is Chouji Akimichi, Chouji this is Sakura Haruno."

His lazy drawl was something she had missed while she had been on her mission, "Hi Chouji."

"Hey."

"Shikamaru, I've been thinking," she began. Watching as Orion began his sneak attack on a butterfly.

"Oh no that's not good." he laughed.

"Hush you, I've been thinking about how it's been a long time since we caused any mischief." she hadn't wanted to bring this up around his new friend but she had a feeling he would've wanted Chouji involved.

"Yeah but we are on separate schedules so it was bound to happen."

"I know but I really think we should give it another go." he looked about ready to protest but something caught her attention, a niggling at the edge of her senses. "Hold that thought, I'll be right back."

As she walked away she heard his signature, "Troublesome," and sent a wicked smile his way before honing in on whatever it was that had caught her senses.

* * *

**A/N: **So here's chapter six. I hope it's okay I wrote it kinda fast and...Yeah, so...

Happy Fourth of July! Or you know whatever you might be doing today.

~Rose.


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